I WAS WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT, MAVI ON DREAM INDIA DEBUT
Debutant fast bowler Shivam Mavi led an inspired bowling with his four wickets as India edged out Sri Lanka by two runs in a thrilling opening Twenty20 international on Tuesday.
Mavi returned with figures of 4-22 to help the hosts bowl out Sri Lanka for 160 in a victory target of 163 and lead the three-match series 1-0 in Mumbai.
“I was waiting for this moment for the last six years. Had injuries in between and it felt my dream will never come true,” Mavi said after the match. “Nerves were 3-4 on a scale of ten because you know what to expect when you have played the IPL. The first wicket was my favourite.”
The 24-year-old Mavi was ably supported by fellow pace bowlers
Umran Malik and Harshal Patel as they picked up two wickets each.
Axar Patel, a left-arm spinner, held his nerve in a tense last over when Sri Lanka needed 12 for a win and Chamika Karunaratne gave India a scare with his unbeaten 23. Deepak Hooda (41) and Axar (31) set up victory with an unbeaten 68run sixth-wicket stand that steered India to 162-5 after being tested by the Sri Lankan bowlers. Ishan Kishan came out attacking as he hit Kasun Rajitha for a six and two fours in a 17-run opening over after the tourists invited India to bat. India raced to 26 in the first two overs but soon lost momentum after losing their top and middle-order before Hooda, who hit four sixes in his 23-ball knock, and the left-handed Axar took charge.
Debutant Shubman Gill began with a boundary but soon fell lbw
for seven to mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana.
Sri Lanka hit back with disciplined bowling and Karunaratne sent back Suryakumar Yadav after the batsman mistimed one of his audacious scoop shots to be caught at short fine leg. India lost two more wickets and slipped to 77-4 when wrist spinner Wanindu Hasaranga got the left-handed Kishan out for 37.
Left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka added more misery to the opposition batting as he got skipper Hardik Pandya caught behind for 29. In reply, Mavi struck in his first over of international cricket as he bowled Pathum Nissanka for one. He then sent back Dhananjaya de Silva for eight in his next to put India on top.
Sri Lanka kept losing wickets with tearaway quick Umran getting Charith Asalanka out for 12 and Harshal struck twice to leave Sri Lanka on 68-5.
Harshal cut short Kusal Mendis' knock on 28 with his medium-pace bowling and then sent back the dangerous Bhanuka Rajapaksa for 10. —