"Pichli baar kya bola tha? Second-string?" - Fans roast Sri Lanka as India coast to victory
India have begun their tour of Sri Lanka in resounding fashion as they thumped the hosts by seven wickets in the first ODI. Needing 263 runs to win, the visitors comfortably coasted to the target with 13.2 overs to spare.
The chase under the lights was going to be tricky, but half-centuries from birthday boy Ishan Kishan and skipper Shikhar Dhawan ensured that the Indian team reached the target without much difficulty.
Twitterati hails India for comprehensive victory
Fans on Twitter hailed the new-look Team India for the way they thrashed Sri Lanka in their own den. Many had termed this team a 'second-string' squad but they showed there was no lack of quality in India's bench strength. Here is how the fans reacted to the comprehensive win:
India needed a good start as the target of 263 was the sort of mid-score where chasing teams might get confused with the way they need to approach the game. However, Prithvi Shaw came out all guns blazing and showed just how ready he is to dominate at this level.
Cover drive, back-foot punches, all of Shaw's shots were top drawer and Sri Lanka looked subdued by the onslaught. But more was to come as ODI debutant Ishan Kishan played a similar brand of cricket.
Smacking his very first delivery for a six, Kishan threw caution to the wind. His attacking mindset allowed skipper Dhawan to play the role of a sheet anchor. After the young southpaw departed for a well-made 59, it was time for the experienced Dhawan to ensure there were no late hiccups in the run-chase.
On his captaincy debut, the 35-year-old scored a classy 86* and made sure he was there right till the end to take his team home. India will take tremendous confidence from this game as their spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal also had a good day, picking up a couple of wickets each.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have lots of questions they need to find answers for quickly if they are to keep the series alive.