The Sri Lankan certainly had the firepower to go after 163, but Mavi’s batting at the front and back of the innings tipped the game in favor of the home side.
Post Date – 11:44PM, Tue – 1/3/23
Source: PTI.
Mumbai: Shivam Mavi made his debut with a relentless fast bowling performance as his four overs gave India a two-run win over dynamic Sri Lanka in their first T20I match on Tuesday.
Ahead of Deepak Hooda (23 off 41 balls, not out) and Axar Patel (20 off 31 balls, not out), the Indian batsmen found Sri Lankan spin difficult to beat as they beat the hosts 162-5.
The Sri Lankan certainly had the firepower to go after 163, but Mavi’s batting at the front and back of the innings tipped the game in favor of the home side. The game went downhill and spinner Axar Patel saved 13 points in the final. Mavi finished with an enviable 22 in four overs.
Skippers Dasun Shanaka (45 off 27 balls) and Chamika Karunaratne (23 off 16 balls) battled in vain as Sri Lanka finished on 160 in 20 overs.
This is the lowest total for India’s defense at this stadium.
Skipper Hardik Pandya decided to bowl in the first over and the pressure he created helped newcomer Mavi at the other end. Hardik threw it all in and gave up almost nothing, allowing just 12 points on his 3-point spell.
Mavi’s cherished moment came on his first possession, as he fought back with remarkable composure after being hit by Kusal Mendis at both quarterbacks. Pathum Nissanka had already lived life in Hardik’s first match, unaware of Mavi’s delivery majesty who jagged to crush the stump.
In his second attack, Mavi was also hit with a couple of fours before midfield was caught by Danajaya De Silva.
After Charith Asalanka missed a pull from Umran Malik, Ishan Kishan ran back a nice catch to make it 47-3.
Pacer Harshal Patel was lucky to get his first wicket as a dangerous-looking Mendis found the deep fielder before breaking away from Bhanuka Rajapaksa with a slower ball to give Sri Lanka 68 in the 11th over. 5 struggling. Hardik had to leave the field briefly after taking the ball off Rajapaksa.
Hasaranga and captain Shanaka made the game interesting with a quick-fire 40 off 23 balls. Hasaranga put the pressure on the Indians by knocking down Yuzvendra Chahal for six consecutive overs in the middle wicket, reducing the equation to 56 runs from 36 balls.
Mavi was brought back to break up the threatening partnership, which is what he did by having Hasaranga caught midway. Shanaka single-handedly kept Sri Lanka in the game before losing to Umran in the 17th over.
The game somehow went to the final frame and Chamika Karunratne gave the visitors a glimmer of hope. Axar was required to defend 13 runs in the final over as Hardik was unable to bowl his fourth over after a down in the field.
Earlier, Hooda and Axar shared an unbeaten 68-run 38-ball run at the sixth wicket after India found themselves shaky with a 94-5 record at the high-scoring Wankhede Stadium.
Kishan (37 for 29), playing his first international match since the Bangladesh Double Hundred, was strong in the first innings, scoring 17 runs.
Looking for some swing, right-arm pacer Kasun Rajitha pitched and Kishan quickly flicked the ball over deep square leg for a huge six. A slower ball was then dropped to the ground four times before Kishan pulled Rajitha to another boundary.
Shubman Gill (7), who made his T20 debut with Mavi, started his innings with a delightful cover driver off Dilshan Madhushanka.
Shanaka introduced spin in the third over through Maheesh Theekshana, who delivered with Gill’s wicket, who missed the mystery spinner’s straight ball and was caught in front of the stumps. Holding out hope, Jill wasted a review in the process.
India’s best T20 batsman, Suryakumar Yadav (7), was too cheap, with the hosts trailing 41-2 in a power play. Playing his first game in front of a hometown crowd,
Surya delivered his customary tackle but it was mistimed and was caught by Bhanuka Rajapaksa short leg near Chamika Karunaratne.
Sanum Samson (5) wasted another chance when he fumbled off Dhananjaya de Silva.
India collected just 26 runs in a 10-15 run thanks to the loss of Kishan and skipper Hardik Pandya (29 for 27), who couldn’t find his range after starting a couple of fine strokes by the side .
Hooda, who was in sixth, tried to change the course of the innings with consecutive sixes over a deep three-post near Theekshana.he targets the same area
Hasaranga bet him to the max for the rest of the game.
He had strong support from Axar as the pair helped India to their fighting total.
Brief score:
India: 162/5 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 37, Deepak Hooda 41 not out, Axar Patel 31 not out)
Sri Lanka: 160 all out in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 28, Dasun Shanaka 45; Shivam Mavi 4/22).
