The 1st ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo ended on a tie as both India and Sri Lanka ended with the same scores. There were a lot of ebbs and flows in this entire game as the fans in the capital city of Sri Lanka were treated to some whirlwind brand of cricket on 2nd August 2024.
Batting first, Sri Lanka managed to score 230 runs for the loss of 8 wickets on a spin-friendly pitch. Dunith Wellalage helped Sri Lanka pick themselves up from a precarious situation as he recorded his highest score of 67* runs in 65 runs in international cricket.
Pathum Nissanka batted well as he scored 56 runs in 75 deliveries and his innings was packed with 9 fours and he had a strike rate of 74.67.
With the white-cherry, India’s Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel bagged 2 wickets and Mohammad Siraj, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar picked up 1 wicket each.
With a target of 231 runs, India were well on course to win the game with ease. But it failed to be a walk in the park for India as the Sri Lankan spinners kept pegging India with wickets.
Skipper Rohit Sharma looked in fine form as he scored 58 runs in 47 deliveries. His knock was packed with 7 fours and 3 sixes. Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar perished away and the onus was on Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer to steady India’s ship.
The duo put on 47 runs before the former captain of India was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga. Shreyas Iyer was then holed up by Asitha Fernando and KL Rahul and Axar Patel had to stitch a partnership.
KL Rahul and Axar Patel put up a resounding fight as they had a solid partnership of 57 runs. Shivam Dube then came in and played the rescue act, despite wickets tumbling at the other end.
Things ended in an anti-climatic fashion as Shivam Dube was trapped leg-before by Charith Asalanka in the third-last over. Once Dube went, it took 2 balls for India’s innings to skittle away as Asalanka breathed fire with the white-cherry.
He trapped Arshdeep Singh leg before and scripted a famous draw at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
India next lock horns with Sri Lanka on 4th August 2024 in the 2nd ODI.
