India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I at Cuttack: Pandya into his final over now. Appeal for lbw off the first ball, though there was an inside-edge on this occasion. Swing and a miss off the next ball. The frustration leads him to throw his wicket away, as he holes out to Rahul off the next delivery to depart for 12. Nuwan Pradeep is the last man to walk out, and he pushes the first ball through the covers for a double. His innings lasts just two balls, as he chips the next ball to Unadkat at point to depart for a run-a-ball 2, as Sri Lanka crash to a 93-run loss at Cuttack to concede the series lead! Preview: India will aim to continue their supremacy over Sri Lanka when they face off in the opener of the three-match T20 International series at the Barabati Stadium here on Wednesday. Fresh from a 2-1 win in the ODI series, a new-look India will once again be led by Rohit Sharma, even as regular skipper Virat Kohli and some other regulars have been rested for the challenging South Africa tour later this month. India enjoy a 7-4 record against the Islanders in the shortest format but do not have happy memories of the solitary T20I at the venue. [caption id=“attachment_4268221” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rohit Sharma and Thisara Perera will be leading the hosts and the visitors respectively. AP[/caption] The men-in-blue had folded up for 92 in their six-wicket loss to South Africa in 2015 as crowd trouble brought infamy to the venue. Going into Wednesday’s tie, Rohit will have a new opening partner in Lokesh Rahul with Shikhar Dhawan being rested for the rubber. Former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will need to guide the inexperienced middle order comprising rookies Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda and Manish Pandey while Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Hardik Pandya can provide stability to the lower order. The bowling department will be spearheaded by death over specialist Jasprit Bumrah, who will have Saurashtra left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, Hyderabad’s Mohammad Siraj and two first-timers in Washington Sundar and Basil Thampi for company. Besides the pacers, the wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are expected to deliver. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have lost five T20Is on the trot, starting from the match against Bangladesh in April. For the visitors, Upul Tharanga was in imperious form during his 95 in the third ODI and he would be the key along with former skipper Angelo Mathews. The islanders would also hope that stumper Niroshan Dickwella strikes form to give some stability to the middle order which comprises the likes of Asela Gunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Thisara Perera. Squads: India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Basil Thampi, Jaydev Unadkat. Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Janith Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella (WK), Asela Gunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dasun Shanaka, Chaturanga de Silva, Sachith Pathirana, Dananjaya De Silva, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Dusmantha Chameera. With inputs from IANS
Highlights, India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I at Cuttack: Hosts win by 93 runs
Catch the full scorecard as well as the live updates on the first T20I between India and Sri Lanka at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Wednesday.
 "Highlights, India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I at Cuttack: Hosts win by 93 runs")
Captains to win 50 or more T20 matches:
MS Dhoni
Gautam Gambhir
Darren Sammy
Mashrafe Mortaza
Shoaib Malik
Misbah-ul-Haq
ROHIT SHARMA*
Rahul set the platform, Dhoni and Pandey had the finishing say,
Sri Lanka hoped for a new start but it was another gloomy day,
Poor batting, bowling, fielding made the Lankans heavily pay,
Bhai do aur T20 hai, one thing you can do is just pray, pray and pray.
India’s biggest win in T20Is: (By runs)
93 v Sri Lanka, Cuttack, 2017*
90 v England, Colombo (RPS), 2012
75 v England, Bangalore, 2017
After 16 overs,Sri Lanka 87/10 ( Nuwan Pradeep 0 , )
Pandya into his final over now. Appeal for lbw off the first ball, though there was an inside-edge on this occasion. Swing and a miss off the next ball. The frustration leads him to throw his wicket away, as he holes out to Rahul off the next delivery to depart for 12. Nuwan Pradeep is the last man to walk out, and he pushes the first ball through the covers for a double. His innings lasts just two balls, as he chips the next ball to Unadkat at point to depart for a run-a-ball 2, as Sri Lanka crash to a 93-run loss at Cuttack to concede the series lead!
OUT! Pradeep chips straight to point, bringing Sri Lanka’s misery to an end as they crash to a 93-run loss to concede the series lead to the hosts! SL 87 all out.
Pradeep c Unadkat b Pandya 2(2)
OUT! Chameera’s entertaining cameo comes to an end just when the tailender was looking his fourth boundary! Flicks the full delivery towards deep square-leg, where Rahul latches on to the low chance. SL 85/9
Chameera c Rahul b Pandya 12(14)
After 15 overs,Sri Lanka 85/8 ( Dushmantha Chameera 12 , Vishwa Fernando 0)
Swing and a miss for Chameera after an ambitious pull off the second ball of the over. He does get successive boundaries off the fourth and fifth deliveries of the over, giving the gloomy-looking Lankan camp something to cheer about. Retains the strike with a single off the last ball.
Sri Lanka need 96 to win from 30 balls.
After 14 overs,Sri Lanka 76/8 ( Dushmantha Chameera 3 , )
Pandya brought back into the attack for the 14th over, with Chameera getting off the mark with a double off a mistimed slog towards the leg side. Pandya fires a high bouncer off the penultimate delivery that is called a wide. Dananjaya walks back to the dugout at the end of the over, smacking the ball straight into Pandya’s hands for a reflex catch. Five runs and a wicket off it.
Sri Lanka need 105 to win from 36 balls.
OUT! Fine catch by Pandya! Dananjaya smacks the ball down the ground, connecting well on the occasion, but straight into the hands of Pandya. Reflex catch for the pacer. SL 76/8
Dananjaya c and b Pandya 7(7)
Most catches in T20 cricket by wicket-keepers:
133 – Kumar Sangakkara, MS DHONI*
121 – Dinesh Karthik
115 – Kamran Akmal
After 13 overs,Sri Lanka 71/7 ( Akila Dananjaya 6 , Dushmantha Chameera 0)
Kuldeep into his final over. Kusal could’ve used the losing battle as an opportunity to get himself a respectable score. Instead ends up getting a thick bottom-edge that lands safely in Dhoni’s gloves, ending his innings at the 19-run mark. Test field set for Chameera off the last ball, with two slips and a leg slip in place. Just a formality for the hosts now. Kuldeep ends with figures of 2/18.
Sri Lanka need 110 to win from 42 balls.
OUT! Another wicket for a spinner, and this time it’s the last recognised batsman Kusal Perera who has to go, as he gets a massive top-edge while shuffling down the track looking for a slog. Simplest of catches for MSD! SL 70/7
Kusal Perera c Dhoni b Kuldeep 19(28)
After 12 overs,Sri Lanka 67/6 ( Kusal Perera 17 , Akila Dananjaya 4)
The Lankan captain gets stumped — which is the second such dismissal for Chahal from his four wickets so far in this innings — as he fails to read a googly while looking for a slog, with the Lankan batting going into the tail now. Six off the over along with the wicket of the skipper. Chahal signs off with figures of 4/23.
Sri Lanka need 113 to win from 48 balls.
Sri Lanka’s alarm bells are ringing, you can clearly hear the sound,
Befuddled and clueless there is one answer they haven’t found,
In deep sorrow of spinning web they are totally drowned,
The haunting wrist spinners are again turning it around
OUT! Another one bites the dust! Thisara steps out looking for a slog, misses the googly completely and meets his end thanks to the swift hands of Dhoni. Absolutely rash by the Lankan skipper! Chahal on a roll right now! SL 62/6
Thisara Perera st Dhoni b Chahal 3(4)
After 11 overs,Sri Lanka 62/5 ( Kusal Perera 16 , Thisara Perera (C) 3)
Kuldeep bowls his third over, with spinners operating in tandem at the moment. Shanaka’s vigil lasts just six deliveries, as he mistimes an attempted slog to get caught by Pandya near long-on, departing for just one. The game virtually over for the Lankans, unless the two Pereras at the crease pull off a miracle.
Sri Lanka need 119 to win from 54 balls.
OUT! Now Kuldeep joins the party, as Shanaka miscues one down the ground to get caught by Pandya, who runs in from long-on. Sri Lanka lose half their side with just 58 on board.
Shanaka c Pandya b Kuldeep 1(6)
Most wickets in T20Is in 2017:
18 – YUZVENDRA CHAHAL*
17 – Rashid Khan, Kesrick Williams
14 – Imran Tahir, Shadab Khan
After 10 overs,Sri Lanka 57/4 ( Kusal Perera 14 , Dasun Shanaka 1)
Chahal continues from the Mahanadi End, and collects his third wicket at the start of the over — an ugly one at any rate — as Gunaratne getsa stumped off a wide. Appeal for lbw off the penultimate delivery, with the inside-edge saving new batsman Shanaka on this occasion. Three runs and a wicket off the over. The Indians clearly are on top at the halfway mark of the innings.
OUT!! Chahal’s bowled a wide on this occasion, but it is Dhoni’s brilliance that gets Gunaratne stumped on this occasion! The Lankans are on the downward spiral right now! SL 55/4
Gunaratne st Dhoni b Chahal 4(4)
After 9 overs,Sri Lanka 54/3 ( Kusal Perera 13 , Asela Gunaratne 4)
Kuldeep hands over the towel aftrer wiping the ball to begin his second over. Gunaratne bunts the first ball to long on for a single. Yadav floats the second ball, which is taken on the full by Kusal, who sweeps hard but only for only. Perera tries the reverse sweep–misses. Kuldeep finishes with a dot. Sri Lanka really need to kick on as they cannot leave it too late.
In spite of being a short game, wickets are still the key
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 20, 2017
After 8 overs,Sri Lanka 49/3 ( Kusal Perera 10 , Asela Gunaratne 2)
Chahal returns to the attack for the eighth over, and removes Mathews off the second ball of the over, with the centurion from Mohali patting the ball back to the leg-spinner for a simple chance. Gunaratne walks out to the centre, finding himself in a bit of a pickle. Gets off the mark off the first ball with a single. Excellent over for Chahal, with just four runs and an important wicket coming off it.
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