IND vs SL: 1st ODI Review – India’s batting powerhouse delivers a thumping win
India recorded a 67-run victory in the first ODI match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (January 10) to take a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match series. After securing T20Is by 2-1, the Indian team started their first ODI assignment in the year 2023 with a dominating all-round performance.
Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to bat first at a batting-friendly surface at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The returning captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill started well with a big 143-run partnership for the first wicket.
Gill continued his red-hot form in ODIs with another fifty and scored 70 runs off 60 balls before getting out on Shanaka’s delivery in the 20th over. Rohit missed out on a century as he scored 83 runs off 67 balls. But Virat Kohli continued the good start and dominated the match. He scored his 45th ODI century to kickstart his 2023 campaign with on a positive note.
It seemed like the hosts will score 400-plus total but the Indian batters struggled in the last few overs as they scored 373/7 in 50 overs. For Sri Lanka, Kasun Rajitha took three wickets but conceded 88 runs at a poor economy rate of 8.80.
Sri Lanka totter in huge chase
While chasing a big total, Sri Lanka lost the returning star Avishka Fernando on just five runs to Mohammed Siraj’s delivery. Siraj then removed in-form Kusal Mendis in the sixth over and Sri Lanka were struggling at 25/2 in six overs.
Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka showed little resistance with a 41-run partnership for the third wicket but the pressure of a big chase proved vital. Umran Malik dismissed both Nissanka and Asalanka to keep India on track for a big total. Nissanka scored 72 runs off 80 balls but didn’t get much help from the Sri Lankan top order.
Dhananjaya de Silva scored a crucial 47 runs off 40 balls but failed to convert it into a big knock. Sri Lanka lost their eighth wicket with just 206 runs on the scoreboard but Shanaka pulled off another admirable captain’s knock to avoid getting all out. He registered his second international century by smashing 108* off 88 balls as Sri Lanka scored 306/8 in 50 overs to suffer a 67-run defeat.
Top performers from IND vs SL:
Virat Kohli:
The former Indian captain smashed his 73rd international century to start the 2023 year with a blast. Kohli scored 113 runs off just 87 balls with the help of 12 fours and a six to help India score a big total.
Umran Malik:
After dominating the T20I series, the young Indian speedster bowled another impressive spell in the first ODI. He took two big wickets of Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka and ended the game with three wickets while conceding 57 runs from his eight-over spell.
What’s next for both teams?
Both India and Sri Lanka travel to Kolkata for the second ODI match scheduled at Eden Gardens on Thursday, January 12, 2023.
