Sri Lanka defeated India by five wickets in the first T20 of the Nidahas Trophy on Tuesday.
Set a target of 175 after Shikhar Dhawan's blistering 90, the hosts won with nine balls to spare thanks to Kusal's Perera's 66 off 37.
India handed a T20I debut to all-rounder Vijay Shankar. Although Dinesh Karthik kept the wickets, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was also been included in the team. KL Rahul, part of Ithe ndian T20 team in South Africa, was left out.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Shanaka, Thisara, Jeevan, Akila, Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep.
Nidahas Tri-Series 2018- Sri Lanka v/s India: Live Scorecard
Highlights:
'22:25
SRI LANKA HAVE WON!
Thisara Perera hits the winning runs for the hosts.
Lanka have made the first move in the Nidahas Trophy.
A convincing win on the back of a special knock from Kusal Perera.
'22:20
Lanka have all but reached the finish line.
Two fours and a six in that over from Unadkat.
Poor, poor stuff from the left-arm pacer. Bowling full-tosses and half volleys.
Thisara Perera doing what he does so often - producing the big shots at the end of the innings.
Lanka need 8 off 12.
SL - 167/5 after 18 overs.
'22:14
Good over for Lanka, 11 runs came off it.
Debutant Vijay Shankar tried various things, but the hosts got the runs they needed without losing a wicket.
24 from 18 needed now.
SL - 151/5 after 17 overs.
'22:07
Another good over for India.
They are surely making a match out of this.
Wonderful comeback from Thakur too.
He's dug in deep after the hiding he got in his first over.
Just the four runs from that over.
Lanka need 35 runs off 24 balls with five wickets in hand.
SL - 140/5 after 16 overs.
'21:59
OUT!
Chahal cleans up Tharanga!
The Lankans are making serious mistakes here.
They don't need to be going for such wild hoicks.
Playing smart cricket and dealing in singles will be enough to get the job done.
Have India found a way back?
SL - 136/5 after 14.4 overs.
'21:55
Good captaincy from Rohit, brings back Thakur immediately after the fall of Perera's wicket.
Perera had, of course, taken Thakur for a mammoth 27 runs in his first over.
Good comeback from the young pacer, though.
Just the five runs came from that over.
SL - 132/4 after 14 overs.
'21:49
OUT!
Sundar gets Perera!
The left-hander comes down the track and goes for a big one, but the ball beats his bat and Dinesh Karthik completes the stumping.
Important wicket this for India, but is it too little too late?
SL - 127/4 after 12.3 overs.
'21:46
SIX!
WHAT A SHOT FROM PERERA!
A switch-hit from the left-hander that goes all the way!
Raina doesn't know where to look.
This is turning out to be one of the finest T20I knocks ever. Sensational hitting!
Perera is unbeaten on 66 off 34 with six fours and four sixes.
SL - 126/3 after 12 overs.
'21:43
Two good balls and then a boundary from Perera's bat.
SIX!
Upul Tharanga slogs one over the mid-wicket fence.
Have to say, Lanka are cruising now!
Expensive over that at the end, 13 came from it.
SL - 114/3 after 11 overs.
'21:38
Suresh Raina comes into the attack and bowls a fine over.
Just three runs came from it.
Can India win it from here? Looks incredibly difficult!
SL - 101/3 after 10 overs.
'21:33
OUT!
Chahal strikes for India!
Captain Chandimal is clean bowled after getting himself yorked.
Is this the breakthrough that India needed?
SL - 98/3 after 8.5 overs.
'21:30
Debutant Vijay Shankar comes into the attack.
Bowls a fine over, just four runs came from it.
But India need wickets, simply containing won't do.
SL - 92/2 after 8 overs.
'21:26
FIFTY FOR PERERA!
Second fastest half-century ever by a Lankan. Came off 22 balls.
What a sublime knock this has been!
But the job is only half done. He needs to keep going for his side.
'21:24
Simply magnificent from Perera!
Dances down the track and deposits Chahal into the crowd.
The leg-spinner will play a vital role for India today. Being one of the senior-most bowlers in the side, he cannot afford to go for runs.
13 runs came from that over.
SL - 88/2 after 7 overs.
'21:19
A tidy over from Sundar. Just the five runs off it.
Skipper Dinesh Chandimal has joined Perera out in the middle for Lanka.
End of the Power Play.
SL - 75/2 after 6 overs.
'21:14
Danushka Gunathilaka joins the act now!
Slaps Unadkat for a six right back over his head. Follows that up with an audacious flick over short-fine for four.
The Lankans are making a mockery of this chase at the moment.
OUT!
Unadkat has the last laugh! Fools Danushka Gunathilakawith a slower one.
The left-hander goes for a big one but the ball loops up for an easy catch at mid-off.
Can India pull things back now?
SL - 70/2 after 5 overs.
'21:11
FOUR, FOUR, FOUR, SIX, NB + FOUR, FOUR, DOT.
Kusal Perera is on fire for Lanka!
Shardul Thakur is being taken to the cleaners here.
Lanka might've lost an early wicket but Perera's belligerence has put the hosts firmly in the driver's seat.
27 runs came from that over!
SL - 46/1 after 3 overs.
'20:58
Good start with the ball for India!
Washington Sundar has given the visitors the first breakthough.
The dangerous Kusal Mendis gets caught by Shikhar Dhawan at mid-off.
SL - 19/1 after 2 overs.
'20:35
INDIA FINISH WITH 174 RUNS.
FOUR
Rishabh Pant has played a very un-T20-like innings here, but he finishes with a boundary. He makes room and spanks it through covers. Succeeds in finding the gap in the deep.
FOUR
Dinesh Karthik flick-digs it over square leg. Once the man in the circle is cleared, the result is clear as well.
FOUR
This is a slower delivery on a length outside off, Karthik looks to smash it over the off side. Gets a thick outside edge and that enables the ball to run away to the third man fence in a flash.
'20:25
OUT
Shikhar Dhawan misses out on a hundred, India have lost their fourth wicket.
Dhawan falls 10 short of the triple-figure mark. Gets a nice full floated delivery on off, he looks to go over long off, mindful of the fielder there. Perera sees that the ball is coming straight to him and takes it by keeping his eyes on the ball.
IND: 153/4 after 18 overs
'20:22
SIX
You don't give Dhawan many chances just for this reason. He slinks down the track in a flash and takes it on the full. Bludgeons it straight over the bowler's head for half a dozen. Brings up India's 150.
SIX
Dhawan moves inside the line in a bid to pull it. The ball takes the top edge and clears fine leg to take Dhawan into the 80s.
SIX
D Gunathilaka to S Dhawan, SIX! BOOM! Floated on the stumps, Dhawan gets down on a knee and slog sweeps it high and handsomely over mid-wicket.
IND: 150/3 after 17 overs
'20:15
SIX
Rishabh Pant slinks down the track and goes inside out over covers. The ball goes the distance.
A Dananjaya to S Dhawan, SIX! BAMMMM! Dananjaya bowls a half-tracker on middle, Dhawan hangs on the back foot and banishes it over the deep mid-wicket fence for half a dozen.
Shikhar Dhawan is still there and India will look up to him to take them to good score.
IND: 124/3 after 15 overs
'20:04
OUT
Pandey's dragged this from way outside off to deep midwicket. No power behind the stroke from Pandey, who looked to go over long-on. The low-arm action meant the ball dipped on him just a touch. Pandey's scratchy innings has come to an end, timed the ball well early on but struggled as the innings progressed.
IND: 104/3 after 12.4 overs
'20:00
FOUR and FOUR
Pandey is making merry as well. Now pressure is mounting here on Perera. Length ball, a touch short. Pandey transfers his weight on the back foot and just whips it through backward square leg for a boundary.
Dhawan in full flow. Perera angles this away on a length, Shikhar stands tall and punches it through covers. Such is the timing on that, that it comfortably beats sweeper to his left.
IND: 100/2 after 12 overs
'19:48
SIX
Another one! Another effort ball from Pradeep, Dhawan is cramped for room yet proceeds to play the pull. The ball sails over the fine leg fence.
SIX
Pradeep bangs this short on the stumps, Dhawan looks to go for the pull. Goes through with the shot and the ball goes off the top edge and sails over the third man fence for a maximum.
IND: : 71/2 after 9 overs
'19:42
SIX
Tossed up and Manish Pandey slogs sweeps this over mid-wicket for a biggie.
REVIEW
Mendis hits Dhawan on the leg. Mendis goes up for a big leg-before appeal. SL challenge the on-field not-out decision. It would have hit the stumps but the ball pitched outside leg. And SL lose a review.
IND: : 57/2 after 8 overs
'19:37
Shikhar Dhawan and Manish Pandey have put India back on track. However, the runrate is still under 7. They need to pick the pace now.
IND: 48/2 after 7 overs
'19:30
FOUR, FOUR, FOUR
Good over for India. 17 runs off this over.
Dhawan stands back and guides it towards third man. Akila runs to his right in the deep and puts in the dive. Yet fails to prevent the boundary.
Then, Dhawan gets luck as he is hurried into the pull and gets a top edge. The ball sails over the short fine leg fielder and goes to the fence for another boundary.
Manish then finishes the over with a good shot. The ball was full in length, Pandey gets his front foot out of the way and blasts it over mid on. It almost goes the distance as the ball just bounces inside the ropes., very costly.
IND: 35/2 after 5 overs
'19:20
FOUR
Dhawan stands tall- hits Dananjaya for a four.
IND: 18/2 after 4 overs
'19:15
OUT
BOWLED! Raina misses the full toss and the ball goes and hits the timber. Slower ball, Raina gives room and completely misses the ball trying to cut it on the off side. The ball crashes into the middle stump and sends Raina back to the hut. What a start for the Lankans.
IND: 2/9 after 2 overs
'19:10
FOUR
Around off and Dhawan charges down the wicket and pops it over mid off. The ball races away to the fence for the first boundary for the Indian innings.
'19:05
OUT
Rohit Sharma is gone. Sri Lanka get Rohit Sharma very early in the piece. This is a length ball in line of the stumps, Sharma looks to hit it over mid off. He ends up getting more height than distance. Jeevan Mendis backtracks from that position takes a good catch with a dive.
IND: 1/1 after 0.4 overs
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