Nidahas Trophy, Sri Lanka vs India 1st T20I: Who said what after the hosts shrugged aside India
Sri Lanka finally had something to smile about against India as they were on the winning side after being on the wrong side of the draw for seven consecutive T20I matches.
It was a complete performance by the hosts after the bowlers and fielders restricted the visitors to 174.
And then the batsmen stepped up and led by Kusal Perera's thunderous knock of 66, the hosts wiped off the target with nine balls to spare.
Earlier Sri Lanka won the toss and invited India to bat first on a slightly sluggish surface. The visitors did not get off to a bright start as they lost captain Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in the first two overs.
However, Shikhar Dhawan scored 90 as India posted 174 runs in their 20 overs which did not prove to be too much of a challenge for the hosts.
Here is how the cricketing world reacted to this particular match!
Rohit Sharma, the India captain: I think it was a par score, definitely something we could have defended. We could have accelerated a bit more towards the end. It was a decent wicket. The kind of start they got was amazing. A lot of credit must go to Sri Lanka, for their whole batting group. I'm sure we will learn from our mistakes. I felt we've got enough experience in our bowling line-up. They are very much new into the scene, they have had enough experience having been in these situations before. We all know on a wicket like that you need your batting as strong as possible. Our squad is well equipped with plenty of all-rounders and that offers the balance to the side.
Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka captain: We are very happy as a team. This is a very good start for the tournament. We will look to continue the momentum. Really happy for the side. The last series gave us a lot of confidence, thanks to management they have been really helpful during the practice sessions. Credit goes to boys, they have done a great Job. He is doing an excellent job and we know how good we are as a team. Really happy.
Kusal Perera, Man of the Match: This is my best innings, but I had better innings as well. I backed myself and practiced hard to hit the ball cleanly. Bowlers did a good job by restricting India to 174. Credit must go to them as well.
Other reactions from cricketers: