India versus Sri Lanka first ODI

 RESULT

1st ODI (D/N), Colombo (RPS), Jul 18 2021, India tour of Sri Lanka

SL

262/9

INDIA

(36.4/50 ov)263/3

India won by 7 wickets (with 80 balls remaining)

Dhawan, Kishan, Shaw lead Sri Lanka rout after Kuldeep, Chahal shine

India galloped to a seven-wicket win in the first ODI in Colombo with 80 balls to spare

India 263 for 3 (Dhawan 86*, Kishan 59, Shaw 43) beat Sri Lanka 262 for 9 (Karunaratne 43*, Shanaka 39, Kuldeep 2-48, Chahal 2-52) by seven wickets

Prithvi Shaw played gloriously through the offside, debutant Ishan Kishan lit up the stadium with a thumping fifty on his birthday, and Shikhar Dhawan saw the chase through from start to finish, as India's second string served Sri Lanka a walloping first up. Chasing the hosts' half-decent (but far from daunting) 262 for 9, India galloped home with 80 balls and seven wickets remaining. Long passages in their innings were more a celebration of their batting depth and fearlessness than a serious contest; Sri Lanka's bowlers were unable to contain them no matter which field or angle of attack they employed.

Sri Lanka's batters, in contrast, had been constricted by the spin of Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Krunal Pandya, who took grip of the middle overs and struck frequently to prevent any partnerships from prospering for long. Chahal and Kuldeep took two wickets apiece - their early strikes instrumental in reducing Sri Lanka to 89 for 3, before Krunal's miserly left-arm spin kept the run rate in check. Sri Lanka's batters occasionally found the boundary through this period, but were largely unable to keep the runs flowing in between the big shots - a reflection of their own limitations, as well as the quality of the bowling. Six batters got themselves past 20, but only Chamika Karunaratne breached 40, with his late explosion. As a team, they played out 159 dot balls.

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Although Kishan would hit a half-century and Dhawan top-scored with 86 not out off 95, it was Shaw's innings that was the most manic of the evening, setting the tone for India's thundering victory. He punched Dushmantha Chameera through the offside twice in the first over with sublime timing to get India moving rapidly, then hit majestic boundaries off Isuru Udana at the other end. He hit three successive fours in the arc between point and cover in the fourth over, each one seemingly more glorious than the last.

When Shaw got out for 43 off 24, Kishan ensured India's scoring rate - which was over 10 at the time - would not slow down. Facing his first ball in ODI cricket, he ran down the track at Dhananjaya de Silva and launched him over his head for six, then creamed the next ball through cover point for four. In de Silva's next over, he pummelled three successive boundaries. Later in his innings, after the powerplay had ended, Charith Asalanka's offspin would be punished as well. It was with a one-bounce four off Asalanka that Kishan reached his fifty, off the 33rd ball he faced. He would eventually be out for 59 off 42, edging Lakshan Sandakan behind.