Report: Sri Lanka pace bowler Suranga Lakmal helped them steamroll India by seven wickets in the first one-day international in Dharamsala on Sunday, December 10.
The 30-year-old claimed four wickets for 13 runs in his impeccable 10 overs, which included four maidens, as the tourists bundled out India for 112 in 38.2 overs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
India were reeling at 29-7 in the 17th over before Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck a belligerent 65, with the former captain contributing more than half of the team total.
Sri Lanka's top order were not completely convincing against the moving ball but Upul Tharanga's breezy 49 helped them chase down the small target with nearly 30 overs to spare and go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Smarting from their 1-0 loss in the preceding test series, Sri Lanka opted to field against an Indian team led by Rohit Sharma in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli who has been rested ahead of the team's imminent tour of South Africa. (Inputs from Reuters)
5:13pm IST: It's all over! Angelo Mathews finishes it in style with a boundary. Sri Lanka take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after beating India by seven wickets in Dharamsala on Sunday, Decmber 10.
4:20pm IST: Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck early to give India a glimmer of hope, but Upul Tharanga has taken Sri Lanka to safe zone with some aggressive batting.
Tharanga (43* off 40) was given a life early in his innings as he was caught off a no-ball from Bumrah.
SL 56/2 in 11 overs.
2:49pm IST: Dhoni falls after trying to accelerate. The wicketkeeper batsman hit 65 runs from 87 balls and is the Indian to score more than 20 runs in the innings.
IND 112 for 10 in 38.2 overs.
Sri Lanka will be extremely happy with their bowling effort. On bowler-friendly conditions Suranga Lakmal (four for 13) and Angelo Mathews (one for 8) gave the visitors the best possible start, helping reduce the hosts to 27/7 at one stage.
However, Dhoni and Kuldeep rescued India with a 41 run-stand for the eighth wicket. Dhoni hit a few big ones in the end, but India's total might not be enough to stop a Sri Lankan win in the first ODI of the three-match series.
2:15pm IST: Dhoni is switching gears. He has scored 15 runs off 29 balls since Kuldeep's dismissal. The former captain, as usual, is farming the strike as well.
IND 86 for 8 in 32 overs.
13:47: Just when things were looking better for India, they have lost the wicket of Kuldeep, who has been stumped by Dickwella.
India 70/8, 25.3 overs.
13:45: Dhoni is trying to rebuild India innings and have done a good job so far alongside Kuldeep Yadav, who is growing in confidence.
India 69/7, 25 overs
13:35: Something for India fans to cheer as the home team reaches 50 runs in the 23rd over the game.
India have seen some boundaries of late, and Dhoni is looking to play his shots.
India 50/7, 23 overs
13: 01: Bhuvi is also gone for another duck. After the India batsmen failed, there is no point of blaming any other players failing to score runs.
And Dhoni, at the other end, is stranded.
India 29/7, 16.4 overs.
12:53: The only information filling this update are India wickets. And it continues. Pandya after two boundaries is back to the pavilion. He is caught at first slip.
India looking for some magic from Dhoni now. What can the Jharkhand man do?
India 28/6, 15.2
12:40: Another one bites the dust!
Iyer drags the ball back to his wicket. He goes back for nine runs, and he is surprisingly, India's highest scorer.
India 16/5, 13.3 overs.
12:35: India batsmen are falling apart. Manish Pandey goes back after scoring 15-ball 2. India's ability to handle swing bowling has been exposed once again. Scoring has been an ordeal or is it India's batsmen technique, which is making it even more difficult.
India 16/4, 12.5 overs.
12:14: INDIA IN SHAMBLES
India have lost their third wicket as Lakmal traps Dinesh Karthik leg before wicket. The right-hander played 18 balls, but could not even open his account.
India 8/3, 9 overs.
11:59: Iyer hits India's first four of the innings on the leg side, something for the home fans to cheer else it has all been Sri Lanka.
India 6/2, 6 overs
11:51: Another DRS decision goes SL way. Rohit is gone as he edges the ball to Dickwella.
India 2/2
Perera's decision to bowl first has been a good decision with Sri Lanka having sent back both the openers. Dinesh Karthik and Shreyas Iyer with big job at their hands now.
11:40: India lose Shikhar Dhawan early. The left-hander was trapped leg before wicket by Angelo Mathews after Sri Lanka captain Thisara Perera decided to use the DRS. India have not opened their account yet.
India 0/1, 2 overs.
11:25: India and SL players look focussed as the national anthems of both teams are played in Dharamsala.
New captain Rohit Sharma has lost the toss and Sri Lanka captain Thisara Perera has put India into bat. Perera feels that the track looks good for batting and wants to chase, but that should be not be concern as the India skipper wanted to bat first as well.
"I would have batted anyways. Sun is shinning. It looks a good pitch. Good toss to lose," said Rohit at the toss.
There is a bit of grass in the playing surface, but cricket expert Sunil Gavaskar feels that it could help the batsmen, where they can play their shots.
Shreyas Iyer has been pikced ahead of Ajinkya Rahane. The Mumbai star will be making his India debut as well.
Playing XI
India: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Thisara Perera(c), Sachith Pathirana, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Nuwan Pradeep
