DAMBULLA: Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis is cleaned up by Indian spinner Axar Patel as wicket-keeper M.S. Dhoni looks on during the first One-day International at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.—AFP
DAMBULLA: Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis is cleaned up by Indian spinner Axar Patel as wicket-keeper M.S. Dhoni looks on during the first One-day International at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.—AFP

DAMBULLA: Opener Shikhar Dhawan’s blazing century and a disciplined effort by the spinners powered India to a nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first One-day International in Dambulla on Sunday.

Chasing a modest 217 for victory, India rode on an unbeaten 197-run stand between Dhawan, who smashed 132, and skipper Virat Kohli, who made 82, to canter home in 28.5 overs at the Dambulla Rangiri International Cricket Stadium.

But it was the spinners, led by Axar Patel, who set up the opening win for the visitors in the five-match series after bowling out Sri Lanka for 216 in 43.2 overs.

India, who last week achieved their first clean sweep in an overseas three-Test series, lost an early wicket after Rohit Sharma was run out for four.

The partnership between Dhawan, who hit his 11th ODI century, and Kohli made sure India had no more hiccups in their road to victory.

Dhawan was in marauding form, hitting 20 fours and three sixes, but Kohli also attacked the opposition during his 70-ball stay at the crease.

New limited-overs captain Upul Tharanga rotated his bowling options but failed to stop the onslaught.

It was a forgettable 200th ODI for veteran paceman Lasith Malinga, who was not only stuck on 298 wickets but was carted for 52 runs in his eight overs.

Earlier, the Indian spinners triggered a Sri Lankan batting collapse after a strong start.

Opener Niroshan Dickwella’s 74-ball 64 took Sri Lanka to 139-1 in the 25th over before their implosion.

Patel claimed three wickets with his left-arm spin to return career-best figures of 3-34. Fellow spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Kedar Jadhav and paceman Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each.

Leg-spinner Chahal got the wicket of Danushka Gunathilaka for 35 and break the 74-run opening stand. The batsman was caught at extra cover while attempting a reverse sweep.

Off-spinner Jadhav then struck twice to get two important wickets in Dickwella and Tharanga, who made 13.

Jadhav got Dickwella trapped lbw on a quicker ball that kept low to cut short another good-looking partnership. Dickwella and Kusal Mendis put together 65 for the second wicket.

Patel bowled Mendis for 36 and Chamara Kapugedera’s run out by a direct throw from Kohli made the hosts slip further. Former captain Angelo Mathews tried to stick around with the lower-order but eventually ran out of partners to be stranded on 36. Bumrah combined with the spinners to wipe off the tail.

India are looking for another strong showing in the ODIs after their Test series sweep, while the hosts must win two of the five ODIs to gain direct entry into the 2019 World Cup.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

N. Dickwella lbw b Jadhav 64
M.D. Gunathilaka c Rahul b Chahal 35
B.K.G. Mendis b Patel 36
W.U. Tharanga c Dhawan b Jadhav 13
A.D. Mathews not out 36
C.K. Kapugedera run out 1
W. Hasaranga c Jadhav b Patel 2
N.L.T.C. Perera b Bumrah 0
P.A.D.L.R. Sandakan lbw b Patel 5
S.L. Malinga st Dhoni b Chahal 8
M.V.T. Fernando b Bumrah 0

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-10) 16

TOTAL (all out, 43.2 overs) 216

FALL OF WKTS: 1-74, 2-139, 3-150, 4-166, 5-169, 6-176, 7-178, 8-187, 9-209.

BOWLING: Kumar 6-0-33-0 (3w); Pandya 6-0-35-0 (3w) Bumrah 6.2-0-22-2 (2w); Chahal 10-0-60-2 (1w); Jadhav 5-0-26-2 (1w); Patel 10-0-34-3.

INDIA:

R.G. Sharma run out 4
S. Dhawan not out 132
V. Kohli not out 82

EXTRAS (W-2) 2

TOTAL (for one wkt, 28.5 overs) 220

FALL OF WKT: 1-23.

DID NOT BAT: K.L. Rahul, M.S. Dhoni, K.M. Jadhav, H.H. Pandya, A.R. Patel, B. Kumar, J.J. Bumrah, Y.S. Chahal.

BOWLING: Malinga 8-0-52-0 (1w); Fernando 6-0-43-0 (1w); Mathews 2-0-9-0; Perera 2-0-18-0; Sandakan 6-0-63-0; Hasaranga 4.5-0-35-0.

RESULT: India won by nine wickets to lead five-match series 1-0.

UMPIRES: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka) and J.S. Wilson (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: P.R. Reiffel (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shikhar Dhawan.

SECOND MATCH: Pallekele (D/N), Aug 24.

THIRD MATCH: Pallekele (D/N), Aug 27.

FOURTH MATCH: Colombo (RPS, D/N), Aug 31.

FIFTH MATCH: Colombo (RPS, D/N), Sept 3.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2017

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