Sri Lanka vs India 1st ODI: India all out in a nail-biting finish as series opener ends in a thrilling tie

Exciting start

In the opening ODI in Colombo, Sri Lanka's spinners stunned India, leading to an exciting tie. India looked set to win after being given a target of 231. Their chances improved with a strong start, but Sri Lankan bowlers Dunith Wellalage and Akila Dananjaya turned the game around. Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka continued the fight, helping Sri Lanka avoid defeat for the first time since India's arrival a week ago.

Rohit Sharma's aggressive start

Rohit Sharma led India to a flying start. Despite some imperfect shots, he hit a six and a four in the first over, signaling his intentions. Shubman Gill followed with boundaries in the next two overs. Rohit continued his attack, hitting debutant Mohamed Shiraz for two fours and a six, with India scoring 40 runs in the first four overs.

Spin turns the game

Sri Lanka brought in spin early, in the fifth over. Rohit still managed two fours off Wellalage, but India's run rate dipped when Wellalage bowled 12 dots in a row to Gill. This pressure led to Gill's dismissal. Rohit was then trapped lbw by Wellalage, and India sent in Washington Sundar, who quickly got out for a single-digit score.

Kohli and Iyer's brief resistance

Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer slowed Sri Lanka's momentum briefly. Kohli hit successive boundaries, but Hasaranga took his wicket, and Iyer was bowled in the next over. With the required run rate manageable, India still faced a tough task needing almost 100 runs with only KL Rahul, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube left.

Middle order collapse

Rahul and Axar calmed things down with a steady partnership, but Sri Lanka was always a wicket away from a comeback. Hasaranga dismissed Rahul, and Axar fell in the next over. Dube then took charge, hitting a few big shots to draw level, but with just one run needed, Dube and Arshdeep were trapped lbw by Asalanka, leading to a thrilling tie.

Sri Lanka's innings

Earlier, Sri Lanka reached 230/8, thanks to Wellalage's fighting half-century. Sri Lanka was in trouble at 101/5 in the 27th over. Mohammed Siraj took an early wicket, but Pathum Nissanka found boundaries in the powerplay. However, Kusal Mendis struggled, and his dismissal by Dube didn't help Sri Lanka's run rate.

Steadying the ship

Nissanka kept going, but his partners couldn't support him. After Nissanka's departure, Sri Lanka needed a partnership and a run rate boost. Janith Liyanagae and Wellalage steadied the innings before Axar broke their stand. Wellalage then partnered with Hasaranga and Dananjaya to ensure Sri Lanka didn't collapse, scoring his maiden fifty and leading his team to a defendable total of 230.

A thrilling game saw both teams fighting hard, with Sri Lanka's spinners playing a crucial role in tying the match against India.

Player of the Match (Dunith Wellalage)

"I came with a plan. The wicket was turning. Spinners bowled really well, I wanted to put their bowlers under pressure. Me and Janith Liyanage wanted to put some partnership. After that, Wanindu Hasaranga came and we had a good partnership. The wicket was slow. We planned to score 220. Wicket was little bit good during the second innings. Our skipper and Wanindu Hasaranga changed the game. We played a good match today."