INDIA: Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel shined with the bat before debutant Shivam Mavi ran through Sri Lankan batting order as India won the match by 2-runs.
After Chamika Karunaratne took a single off the last ball but Dilshan Madushanka was run out on the final ball, handing India the win in the first T20I match by two runs against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai. Harshal Patel and Umran Malik shared two wickets each, providing support to Shivam Mavi.
Indian innings
Although Wankhede is considered as a batting paradise, India earlier struggled with the bat. The Sri Lankan bowlers dismissed one Indian batsman after the other.
It was Deepak Hooda’s (41*) and Axar Patel’s (31*) collective last over hitting that helped India post a respectable total of 162.
In addition, skipper Hardik Pandya chipped in with a 29-run cameo, and Ishan Kishan scored 37 runs at the top of the order.
For Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, and Chamika Karunaratne claimed one wicket each.
Sri Lanka innings
The Sri Lankan batting was like waves of a rough sea, sometimes up and sometimes down. Sri Lanka pulled the game till the final over and the last wicket pair of Chamika Karunaratne and Dilshan Madushanka almost won the game. However, Madushanka was run out on the last ball while going for a non-existent second run.
Despite Hardik Pandya having one over remaining in his quota, he opted for Axar to bowl the last over. However, it is unclear whether that is due to his injury during the field or a game strategy.
Dasun Shanaka (45) and Chamika Karunaratne (21*) were the only two vital contributors with the bat for the visitors.
Deepak Hooda’s heroics with the bat won him the Player of The Match award.
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