India chased down a moderate target of 263 easily in just 36 overs in the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka played at R. Premadasa Stadium.
A late flourish helped Sri Lanka post 262/9 after opting to bat Batting at number eight, Chamika Karunaratne top-scored with 43 off 35 balls. Down the order, skipper Dasun Shanaka (39) and Charith Asalanka (38) made useful contributions. For India, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav made their ODI debuts, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa played his maiden 50-over match for Sri Lanka.
Openers Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan contributed with the bat as a new-look India made light work of the 263-run chase.
“A lot of our batsmen got good starts, but a lot of us weren’t able to continue,We were trying to play longer innings – even when I was batting with Dasun Shanaka in the 42nd or 43rd over I asked him if I should go for some big shots, but he told me to wait until the 45th over. If more of our batsmen had been able to bat longer, we could have attacked earlier and gone for a bigger score. We do have the ability to get to 300 or 350, and hopefully that will happen in the next games.” Sri Lankan All-rounder Chamika Karunaratne who top scored for Sri Lanka with 43* said after the match.