Mumbai. Deepak Hooda (41 not out in 23 balls) made his debut after the fiery batting of Shivam Mavi’s four wickets, Indian team adorned with young players, a thrilling two-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening T20 International of the three-match series here on Tuesday. Entered. Hooda and Akshar Patel (31 not out in 20 balls) shared an unbroken 38-ball 68-run partnership to take India to 162 for five.
Sri Lanka’s team was dismissed for 160 runs in the last ball match. Mavi made a significant contribution to the team’s victory by spending just 22 runs in four overs and achieving four successes. Umran Malik took two wickets for 27 runs in four overs. In front of Sri Lankan spinners, the Indian team was in trouble, losing five wickets for 94 runs, but Hooda hit one four and four sixes in 23 balls while Akshar hit three fours and a six in his 20-ball unbeaten innings. . Chasing the target, India’s fast bowlers gave the team a bright start but Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka kept the team’s hopes alive in the match with three fours and as many sixes in 27 balls.
Deepak Hooda is adjudged Player of the Match for his fine innings of 41* off 23 deliveries as #TeamIndia win by 2 runs.
Scorecard – https://t.co/uth38CaxaP #INDvSL @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/0LYRcUFtnC
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 3, 2023
Wanindu Hasaranga (21 in 10 balls) and Chamika Karunaratne (23 not out in 16 balls) also kept the team in the match till the end with aggressive batting. Sri Lanka needed 13 runs in the last over but Akshar maintained control of the ball even after hitting a six and gave the team a two-run win.
For India, Ishan Kishan played useful innings of 37 runs in 29 balls and captain Hardik Pandya scored 29 runs in 27 balls. Defending the target, Mavi got off to a flying start by dismissing Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjay D’Silva in his first two overs. When Nissanka was bowled after scoring one run, he ended Dhananjay’s eight-run innings by getting caught by Sanju Samson. Charith Aslanka (12) hit a six against Yuzvendra Chahal in the seventh over but in the next over, Umran Malik (2 for 27) was caught brilliantly by Ishan.
Harshal Patel (2 for 41), who came to bowl in the next over, ended the innings of Kusal Mendis (28). He got Bhanuka Rajapaksa (10) caught by Hardik in his second over. Sri Lanka’s score was 68 for five after the 11th over. Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka hit Akshar for a six in the 12th over, while Hasaranga reduced Chahal’s required run-rate by hitting two sixes in consecutive deliveries.
Chahal scored 17 runs in this over. Pandya handed the ball to Mavi in the 15th over and he vindicated the captain’s decision by ending Hasaranga’s 10-ball 21. Shanaka hit Harshal and then Umran for a six from the other end but the Jammu and Kashmir bowler kept India’s hopes alive by ending his innings with a 27-ball 45. Mavi got the fourth success in his last over by dismissing Teekshana.
Sri Lanka needed 29 runs in two overs and Karunaratne hit a six in Harshal’s over to collect 16 runs. In the last over, it was a challenge for Akshar to defend 13 runs but Karunaratne increased the excitement by hitting a six off the third ball. The team needed five runs in the last three balls but Akshar did not lose patience. Earlier, Ishan started the team’s attack with a six and two fours against Kasun Rajita in the first over itself. 17 runs came from this over. Shubman Gill (7 runs), making his debut in this match with Mavi, hit a four against Dilshan Madushanka in the first ball of his innings but was caught leg-before by Mahish Teekshana, who came to bowl in the next over.
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Suryakumar Yadav, the highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals last year, did not bat in this match and he returned to the pavilion after scoring seven runs in 10 balls, caught by Karunaratne off Rajapaksa. The Indian team’s score in the powerplay was 41 runs for two wickets. In the next over, Sanju Samson (five) also walked on the ball of Dhananjay. Pandya hit two consecutive fours against Karunaratne as soon as he stepped on the crease. From the other end, Kishan increased the run rate by hitting sixes and fours in consecutive balls against Rajita in the 10th over, but caught Dhananjay in the 11th over trying to send Hasaranga’s ball to the visitors. Pandya played some attractive shots but could not quite find the rhythm.
Sri Lankan spinners put brakes on India’s run rate during this period. The team could score only 26 runs between the 10th to 15th over. Hooda, who came in to bat at number six, turned the match against Teekshana for two consecutive sixes. He also sent Hasaranga’s ball to the visitors in the next over. Hooda was supported brilliantly by Akshar from the other end. Madushanka, Teekshana, Karunaratne, Dhananjay and Hasaranga took one wicket each for Sri Lanka. (agency)