An intense rivalry between two powerhouses of world cricket promises to leave fans on edge. From Virat Kohli’s aggressive batting to Wanindu Hasaranga’s strategic bowling tactics, this match promises to showcase skill at every turn.
At R Premadasa on Tuesday, history was made when Sri Lanka defeated India for the first time since 1992 in a bilateral series matchup. Here are key takeaways from this riveting encounter. In this article, we will discuss the high lights of Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Match Scorecard.
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India vs. Sri Lanka
India have made strides toward qualifying for the semi-finals by winning both T20I series against Sri Lanka and now rank amongst the world’s top-four sides, and will look to build on that momentum when starting off their ODI series against them at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on August 2. Recent performances for Sri Lanka are encouraging but they remain far removed from challenging top teams such as India.
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur’s opening pairing has created an early advantage for India; however, more runs need to be scored before they can guarantee victory easily.
Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis produced an impressive batting display for Sri Lanka earlier today. Fernando scored an unbeaten 96 from 102 balls with nine fours and two sixes; Mendis scored unbeaten 59 off 78 balls to help their team post an impressive total of 248 for seven in the end.
Kuldeep Yadav strikes again! In the fourth over, he bowls a fuller delivery on Mandhana’s pads that she plays across. Mandhana looks in trouble but it is ruled as a run out.
Charith Asalanka then bowls an excellent delivery that strikes Shivam Dube with pace and bounce to remove him, before repeating it on Arsdheep Singh to earn an lbw decision.
Axar Patel made his mark early as he got rid of Sadeera Samarawickrama with his second over. Axar got good bounce and spun it round off the stumps to be caught and bowled by Ama Kanchana.
India’s batting lineup
A cricket team’s batting lineup is one of the key elements in its success. Not only do batsmen’s skills matter; but also consistency is critical. Furthermore, having a diverse batting line-up will enable teams to overcome various challenges they may encounter during play.
Sri Lanka boasts an abundance of talent and experience when it comes to international cricket. They won their inaugural ODI World Cup 14 years after being granted Test status and went on to finish runners-up at both 2007 and 2011 World Cups. Sri Lanka boasts deep batting depth with the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Tillakaratne Dilshan all having played key roles in their success over time.
Kamindu Mendis is another key member of Sri Lankan cricket’s batting lineup and currently enjoying an outstanding run of form. The left-handed batsman has quickly established himself in international cricket and quickly emerged as a major force. Mendis notched an outstanding half century during Galle International Stadium Test 2 against New Zealand to help post a mammoth total total score.
India’s batting lineup is led by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the finest batsmen in world cricket. These two possess incredible talent with regards to scoring runs at any point during a game; often playing an instrumental role in deciding the outcome of games. Other talented Indian batting lineup members include Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Chandimal who can also contribute significantly.
Sri Lanka has proven itself as an extremely strong T20 team over time, winning numerous T20 titles over time. They won the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 and finished runners-up at both 2007 and 2014 World T20s – truly making them one of the greatest teams ever seen in world cricket! At home or away, it can be challenging for opponents to defeat this formidable squad.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack
With their batsmen struggling to score runs, Sri Lanka will look to their bowlers to deliver a competitive total. Unfortunately, their bowling attack is not without flaws; during their last game against Pakistan they committed too many errors leading to extras being awarded which needs rectifying if Sri Lanka hopes of victory.
Sri Lanka boasts a powerful pace bowling unit capable of taking advantage of conditions in various venues. Their fast bowlers possess immense experience in understanding pitches they will face as well as playing into batsmen’s strengths and weaknesses.
Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan Kulasekara’s new-ball pair pose a real threat to batters and can pick up wickets when required. Both possess the ability to bowl short, which is key in T20 cricket; additionally they can adjust their pace depending on the pitch conditions.
As for spinners, Rangana Herath stands out as the main weapon. A master at bowling during power plays like against England, his spell against them helped limit scoring rates significantly. Furthermore, his experience is invaluable when playing on unfamiliar tracks in tournaments like these.
Matheesha Pathirana, Sri Lanka’s 21-year-old pace bowler with tremendous potential. However, he often bowls wides that cost his side points in previous matches.
Sri Lanka boasts a strong bowling unit that is capable of competing against any opposition, while their batting could improve to provide them with an advantage in this round. All they need to prove themselves worthy of top four status is to work together as one team.
Final thoughts
Sri Lanka successfully pulled off an historic victory against India after an exciting game that saw momentum shift dramatically back and forth, marking their first bilateral ODI series win since 1997 and first away series victory against them since 1997. This historic triumph came just as they are set to embark on their World Cup journey later this summer.
Sri Lanka made an aggressive start after winning the toss and electing to bat first, thanks to Avishka Fernando and Dunith Wellalage’s impressive batting performances – they posted an opening partnership of 72 runs that provided a solid basis for further innings play. Sri Lankan bowlers did an outstanding job as well; Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took multiple wickets from India’s batsmen throughout their innings so as to never let their chase become out of hand.
Riyan Parag bowls a brilliant over to take the third wicket of Wellalage for only 2. His delivery, an off-spinner’s classic that drifts in and straightens to strike off-stump, catches Wellalage off his back foot, out for just 2.
Kamindu Mendis hit a six off the final ball of an over, increasing run rate significantly, before getting another boundary off a fuller delivery from Parag. Maheesh Theekshana also rotated the strike effectively as Sri Lanka reached 248/7 within their 20 overs.
Charith Asalanka, Sri Lankan captain is interviewed after the match and proclaims it a huge victory for them. He credits their spinners with performing outstandingly as the team played to their strengths backed by back up spinners. Charith Asalanka adds that they’re happy with how the team played and looking forward to another challenge ahead. Charith concludes by noting how all are in great mood and proud of what has been accomplished so far by Sri Lanka. They now lead Australia 2-0 in an ODI series that began last November – they hope to extend this success when facing off again against Australia this Thursday when facing off again when face off in Colombo against them in Colombo!
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