India Thrash Sri Lanka As Shikhar Dhawan Makes Winning Start As Captain

Colombo: Shikhar Dhawan made a winning debut as Team India captain as the visitors crushed Sri Lanka by 7 wickets with plenty to spare in the first ODI at R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday night.

Choosing to bat first, a depleted Sri Lankan team managed to put up 262 for 9 on the board in 50 overs. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (2), Kuldeep Yadav (2) and Krunal Pandya (1) shared five wickets to restrict the home team to a sub-par total.

The top six in the Lankan batting order all got starts but failed to convert those into a big score. Chamika Karunaratne top-scored with an unbeaten 43.

India, dubbed a second-string side by former Lanka captain Arjuna Ranataunga as Virat Kohli and his squad are in England preparing for a five-Test series, showed it had too much firepower for the rivals.

Prithvi Shaw got India off to a blazing start, smashing nine boundaries in his 43 off 24 balls, while debutant Ishan Kishan raced to 59 off 42 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes.

Opener Dhawan, who became India’s 25th ODI captain, anchored the chase with an unbeaten 86 off 95 balls, while the other debutant Suryakumar Yadav remained not out on 31 (20 balls).

Scores: Sri Lanka 262/9 in 50 overs. India 263/3 in 36.4 overs. India won by 7 wickets.