COLOMBO: Skipper Shikhar Dhawan led by example and wicket-keeper/batsman Ishan Kishan impressed on his One-day International debut to secure a comprehensive seven-wicket win for India against Sri Lanka in the first match at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

Kishan celebrated his 23rd birthday with a breezy 59, while Dhawan remained not out on 86 as India chased down the 263-run victory target with 13.2 overs to spare.

Earlier electing to bat, Sri Lanka struggled for momentum but still managed 262-9 largely due to number eight batsman Chamika Karunaratne’s unbeaten 43.

The hosts got off to a steady start before Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Avishka Fernando (33) with his first delivery.

Charith Asalanka (38) and new captain Dasun Shanaka (39) were the other Sri Lanka batsmen who got decent starts but could not convert them into big knocks, which hurt them in the end.

Chahal and fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets apiece and stemmed run flow before Karunaratne’s late counter-attack took Sri Lanka past the 250-mark.

In contrast, India got off to a blistering start and two of their top-order batsmen notched up fifties which made all the difference in the contest.

Prithvi Shaw led India’s robust reply with 43 off 24 balls as India breached the 50-mark in the fifth over.

After Shaw’s exit, Kishan continued the assault bringing up his fifty in 33 balls. He smashed two sixes and eight boundaries before falling to spinner Lakshan Sandakan.

Dhawan, who was content rotating the strike until then, batted sensible and stayed put until the target was achieved.

With regular captain Virat Kohli and several frontline players in England for their five-Test series against Joe Root’s men, Dhawan is leading a second-string India squad in Sri Lanka.

His counterpart Shanaka, having begun his captaincy tenure with a loss, would be hoping to bounce back in the three-match series when the teams return to the venue for the second ODI on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

W.I.A. Fernando c Pandey b Chahal32

M. Bhanuka c Shaw b Kuldeep27

P.B.B. Rajapaksa c Dhawan b Kuldeep 24

D.M. de Silva c Kumar b K. Pandya14

K.I.C. Asalanka c Kishan b Chahar38

M.D. Shanaka c H. Pandya b Chahal39

W. Hasaranga c Dhawan b Chahar8

C. Karunaratne not out43

I. Udana c Chahar b H. Pandya8

P.V.D. Chameera run out13

EXTRAS (LB 3, W-12, NB-1)16

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs)262

FALL OF WKTS: 1-49, 2-85, 3-89, 4-117, 5-166, 6-186, 7-205, 8-222, 9-262.

DID NOT BAT: P.A.D.L.R. Sandakan.

BOWLING: Kumar 9-0-63-0 (5w); Chahar 7-1-37-2 (2w); H.H. Pandya 5-0-33-1 (1nb); Chahal 10-0-52-2 (3w); Kuldeep Yadav 9-1-48-2 (1w); K.H. Pandya 10-1-26-1 (1w).

INDIA:

P.P. Shaw c Fernando b de Silva43

S. Dhawan not out86

Ishan Kishan c Bhanuka b Sandakan59

M.K. Pandey c Shanaka b de Silva26

S.A. Yadav not out31

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-12, NB-1)18

TOTAL (for three wkts, 36.4 overs)263

FALL OF WKTS: 1-58, 2-143, 3-215.

DID NOT BAT: H.H. Pandya, K.H. Pandya, D.L. Chahar, B. Kumar, Y.S. Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav.

BOWLING: Chameera 7-0-42-0 (5w); Udana 2-0-27-0 (3w); de Silva 5-0-49-2; Sandakan 8-4-0-53-1 (3w); Asalanka 3-0-26-0 (1w); Hasaranga 9-1-45-0 (1nb); Karunaratne 2-0-16-0.

RESULT: India won by seven wickets to lead three-match series 1-0.

UMPIRES: H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R.R. Wimalasiri (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Prithvi Shaw.

SECOND MATCH: Colombo (RPS), Tuesday (2:30pm PST).

THIRD MATCH: Colombo (RPS), Friday (2:30pm PST).

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2021