New head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav enjoyed a winning start as India secured a 43-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Twenty20 series on Saturday.
With batting stalwart Virat Kohli, Tests and One-Day International skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja quitting T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup triumph last month, Yashasvi Jaiswal and new T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill opened the innings for the visitors in Pallekele.
Put into bat after Sri Lanka won the toss, India got off to a lightning start in the powerplay with a 74-run opening stand between Jaiswal (40) and Gill (34). But they lost the pair as Dilshan Madushanka and Wanindu Hasaranga took two wickets in two balls.
Suryakumar (58), who was appointed India’s T20 captain last week ahead of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, led from the front, notching his 20th T20 fifty in just 22 deliveries before being trapped lbw by pacer Matheesha Pathirana. Pathirana then struck in quick succession to dismiss Pandya (9) and Riyan Parag (7) with a searing yorker and lbw, respectively.
Pathirana continued to shine with the ball as he sent Rishabh Pant packing when the wicketkeeper-batter was just one run shy of a half-century, to restrict India to a total of 213-7.
Sri Lanka’s chase was off to a flier with an 84-run opening partnership between Pathum Nissanka (79) and Kusal Mendis (45). Arshdeep Singh provided India with a much-needed breakthrough by taking out Kusal.
However, Nissanka and Kusal Perera (20) kept the boundaries flowing to pile the pressure on India’s bowling unit before all-rounder Axar Patel, who replaced Jadeja in the line-up, took back-to-back wickets to dismiss the duo.
Sri Lanka’s chase fizzled out after Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga were removed cheaply, with Sri Lanka being bowled out for 170 in 19.2 overs. Having done the bulk of the damage with the bat alongside Jaiswal for India, Gill said that he was keeping things simple with his opening partner.
“It’s great batting with him. I think we complement each other quite well,” Gill said. “We play a little differently, our style is a bit different. I think that’s why it works for us.
“Our communication is simple, assess the conditions as quick as possible, and then take on the bowlers.” Both sides face off in the second T20 on Sunday.
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