Sri Lanka vs India | India tour of Sri Lanka, 2024 | 1st ODI

We are back with the chase! The two umpires make their way out to the middle followed by Sri Lankan players who are spreading out to take the field. Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill stride out to the centre. Asitha Fernando is handed the new ball and is on top of his mark, raring to go. Let's play!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

With a target of 231 runs set for India, Sri Lanka will carry some momentum into the next innings, knowing they can restrict the Indian side if they make full use of the assistance available on the pitch especially with their three spinners. While India would have been satisfied with this target at the start of the game, they will need to play sensibly to achieve it. The game is nicely poised at the halfway mark. Will Sri Lanka start with spin right away and make an early impact? Or will India, with their batting firepower, cruise through the chase? Stick around as we find out with the chase unfolding in a bit.

Dunith Wellalage, the star of the first innings is down for a chat.  Wellalage says that he had prepared for this wicket and tried to play his natural game. Adds that he looked to rotate the strike. He backs Wanindu Hasaranga and the Sri Lankan pacers to defend this total. Feels that it is not easy to bat and need to bowl in partnerships to put the pressure.

However, towards the end, Dunith Wellalage put on a fine display, scoring his maiden ODI fifty and staying unbeaten at 67 runs putting up a 46 runs partnership along with Akila Dananjaya helping his side cross the 220-run mark, which had seemed far-fetched at one point.

Janith Liyanage and Dunith Wellalage then absorbed the pressure, enduring a few probing overs from Kuldeep and Sundar. They counter-attacked when Shubman Gill was brought in for an over, taking 14 runs off him and easing the pressure. A crucial moment came when Janith Liyanage walked off after a huge appeal for a caught at slip, only to see on replays that he had not made contact with the ball. Their 41-run partnership was vital for Sri Lanka, considering how the game had unfolded thus far.

The Indian spinners maintained the pressure, with Axar Patel removing the dangerous Sadeera Samarawickrama cheaply. Despite wickets tumbling around him, Pathum Nissanka carried his form from the T20Is and kept one end strong ensuring he notched up a well-deserved half-century, making the most of a dropped catch by Mohammed Siraj at 21. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav kept things tight and created enough doubts in the batters' minds, taking two more wickets, including that of Nissanka.

Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh began the attack with tight lines and lengths, preventing the home side from gaining early momentum. Avishka Fernando struggled and was dismissed by Siraj in the third over for just one run, putting Sri Lanka on the back foot from the outset. Kusal Mendis managed a start but never looked settled, falling to Shivam Dube after the first Powerplay.

A strong comeback by Sri Lanka to post 230 runs on the board by the end of the first innings all thanks to some exceptional batting from Dunith Wellalage.