Images from the first T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Saturday.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav smashed a brilliant half-century as India overpowered Sri Lanka by 43 runs in the first T20 International in Pallekele on Saturday.
In his first match as permanent skipper of India's T20 team, Suryakumar made a firm statement with a sparkling 58 off 26 balls, to guide India to a commanding 213/7 in the opening T20I of the three-match series in Pallekele on Saturday.
In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 170 in 19.2 overs with part-time spinner Riyan Parag taking 3/5 in eight balls bowled, while Axar Patel (2/38) and Arshdeep Singh (2/24) bagged two wickets apiece.
Pathum Nissanka top-scored with a quickfire 79 from 48 balls for the hosts, putting on 84 runs for the opening wicket with Kusal Mendis, who stroked 45 from 27 balls. But Sri Lanka suffered a stunning collapse in the second half of their innings, losing their last nine wickets for 30 runs in the space of 32 balls.
While Suryakumar was at his dominant best while hitting eight fours and two sixes en route his 20th half-century, the foundation for the big score was laid by young stars Yashasvi Jaiswal (41 off 20 balls) and Shubman Gill (34 off 15 balls) in a 74-run opening stand in the powerplay.
Rishabh Pant (49 off 33 balls) struggled initially but did well to end just one short of a half-century with some audacious shots both in-front and behind the square.
If Jaiswal's approach was a bit on the muscular side, Gill showed his artistry, bleeding the Lankans with thousand cuts.
The refreshing part was Gill's approach in the very first game under new coach Gautam Gambhir where he didn't exactly employ the safety first approach.
Jaiswal whipped the very first delivery of the match by Dilshan Madushanka while Gill followed suit with back-to-back cuts to start in earnest with a 13-run over.
With a flurry of boundaries coming in first two overs, Charith Asalanka was forced to bring in Maheesh Theekshana in the third over and Jaiswal welcomed him with a six over long-off and then a whip behind square for a boundary with fifty coming in just four overs.
If Gill waited for Asitha Fernando's delivery taking that split second to back cut it for boundary behind point and then roll his wrists to put a slow short ball towards backward square leg, Jaiswal just thumped the same bowler wide of long on for a maximum.
Gill (34 off 15 balls) was out playing one shot too many off the final ball in the powerplay but by then India had scored 74, their highest total in first six overs this season.
Jaiswal failed to read Wanindu Hasaranga's well-disguised googly as the southpaw played for the conventional leg-break bringing in skipper Suryakumar and Pant together.
Suryakumar played his customary inside the line shot over fine leg for six and four. He was lucky to survive as he was also dropped once trying to repeat the shot and also got a four in the process.
The team century came up in 8.4 overs as India's skipper did not let the momentum drop even as Pant was struggling to middle the ball.
Once Suryakumar was adjudged leg before to a Matheesha Pathirana yorker, the final few overs saw Pant finally breaking the shackles, his helicopter shot off Asitha landing into the stands; it was followed by a boundary.
The Sri Lankan pacers were erratic in their lengths on a slowish track but Hasaranga (1/28 in 4 overs) was fantastic as the visiting batters couldn't really get going against him.
Matheesha Pathirana, despite getting some stick, landed perfect yorkers to end up with 4 for 40.