3 takeaways from India's 43-run win over Sri Lanka in 1st T20I
India beat Sri Lanka by 43 runs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, July 27, in the first T20I of the three-match series. Sent into bat by the Lankans, the Men in Blue put up 213-7 on the board in their 20 overs. Chasing the huge target, the hosts were well placed at 140-1 after 14 overs. However, they crumbled inexplicably to be bowled out for 170 in 19.2 overs.
Team India got off to an impressive start with the willow as their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (40 off 21) and Shubman Gill (34 off 16) added 74 runs in six overs. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav then hammered a belligerent half-century, while keeper-batter Rishabh Pant contributed 49 off 33 deliveries.
On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each, while Riyan Parag chipped in with three wickets at the end. India will now look to clinch the series by winning the second T20I in Pallekele on Sunday, July 28. Meanwhile, here are three takeaways from India's triumph over Sri Lanka in the first T20I.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav walks the talk
On the eve of the T20I series against Sri Lanka, new Team India captain Suryakumar was asked how things would change in the Men in Blue camp now that Rohit Sharma is no longer the captain. To this, the Indian skipper came up with a quirky Rohit-like response and said:
"Only the engine has changed, the bogies of the train are the same."
In other words, he asserted that India will continue to play in the same aggressive manner that became the hallmark of the team under Rohit's leadership. The positive approach was on display on Saturday as Gill and Jaiswal, taking over from Rohit and Virat Kohli, went after the bowling from the word go. While Gill struck six fours and a six, Jaiswal struck five fours and two sixes.
At the press conference on Saturday, Suryakumar was also asked whether he would change his style of play now that he has been named captain. Making it clear that he would continue batting in his natural mode, the 33-year-old replied:
"I don’t think my batting style will change. Pressure is always there. Without it, there is no fun of playing the sport. I will play the same way I have been doing so far."
It is one thing to make a comment and totally another to execute it. Suryakumar, however, walked in and batted in his usual whirlwind manner. The right-handed batter struck eight fours and two sixes, scoring at an excellent strike rate of 223.08. These are still early days in his captaincy career, but Suryakumar seems like a leader who will walk the talk.
#2 Question marks remain over Pant's T20I career
Despite an inconsistent T20 World Cup, Team India have continued to back Pant over Sanju Samson as the keeper-batter. On Saturday as well, the left-hander was picked in the playing XI ahead of the Kerala stumper.
Not for the first time in his T20I career, Pant struggled for momentum. He just couldn't find the middle of the bat. It was only towards the end of his knock that he found some rhythm. In the end, he finished his innings with six fours and six. However, he still ended with a strike rate of 148.48. In comparison, Suryakumar had a strike rate of 223, Gill 212, and Jaiswal 190.
The debate has been going on for a while now as to how much longer India can persist with Pant in T20Is. In 75 matches, he has 1207 runs at a strike rate of 127.32. In contrast, Samson has 444 runs in 24 innings at a strike rate of 133.33. Seems like the Pant vs Samson debate will carry on for a while.
#3 Riyan Parag can be a handy option with the ball
India have struggled with their team combination in limited-overs formats in recent years because none of their top or middle-order batters could bowl. As a result, there has been additional dependency on the likes of Hardik Pandya, Axar, and Shardul Thakur.
One of the reasons Riyan was picked in both the T20I and ODI squads for Sri Lanka was because of his ability to bowl. On Saturday, he gave a hint of his talent, claiming three wickets in quick time. Not a lot can be read into the performance since two of the three wickets were of lower-order batters, while the match was as good as over. But Riyan's impressive spell with a ball is a positive sign.
The leg-spinner has 44 wickets in T20 cricket and 50 each in first-class and List-A games. So he is not exactly a part-time bowler. India should look to utilize him with the ball wherever possible. He can be a good sixth bowling option.