India vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: Sri Lanka tour of India, 2023 Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Date & Time: Jan 10, 01:30 PM LOCAL

Dasun Shanaka hit a ton right at the end but Sri Lanka fell short by 67 runs. © BCCI

Shanaka gets a ton, India lead 1-0

That was quite an end to the game. India were always in control but Shanaka made use of the conditions on offer to bring up a century. That was a terrific knock. He hit a four off the penultimate ball to bring up his century and then followed it with a six to close out. India's margin as a result was reduced to 67 as Sri Lanka went past 300.

Can Shanaka get a ton?

No one saw this coming. Sri Lanka were expected to fold by now but their skipper is making use of these conditions to register a good score for himself. He is finding the boundaries regularly and might end up getting a ton at this rate.

50 for Dasun

He is waging a lone battle but it's a losing battle. However, the knock will help his confidence and Sri Lanka will also be glad that they are not getting mowed down. He has taken on Umran Malik today and fetched quite a few boundaries against the pacer.

Hardik gets into the act

There's a wicket for Hardik Pandya. Chamika fails to clear the man at mid-on and Rohit takes the catch. Sri Lanka are 8 down now. India inch closer to a 1-0 scoreline.

Wickets tumble

Hasaranga did entertain with a couple of sixes but he perishes when he attempts to smash Chahal once again as Iyer grabs the catch under the lights. And then in the next over Umran's pace proves to be too much for Wellalage as he edges a delivery to first slip. Sri Lanka are sinking and they are sinking fast.

India take control

Safe to say this game is almost done. After the 30-over mark, Sri Lanka needed 215 more runs in the final 20 and now Nissanka miscues a shot against Umran to fall for 72. That wicket heaps more pressure. Will be quite a surprise if Sri Lanka get to 300, let alone 374.

Shami breaks the stand

This partnership did look threatening with the boundaries flowing consistently but Shami has given India the breakthrough. Dhananjaya de Silva looked good for his 47 but he chases a delivery and edges it behind to Rahul. Sri Lanka 136/4 at the halfway mark. They have a mountain to climb.

50 for Nissanka

The boundaries keep coming for Sri Lanka. This is a very good little spell and Nissanka gets to his fifty. Sri Lanka need to keep this going and guide that run rate well beyond six in the next 10 overs.

Equation - 276 from 180

Sri Lanka have fetched five boundaries in the last two overs but that equation still appears to be daunting. They have made only 98 in the first 20 overs and need something special to win it from here. Can they take advantage of the dew factor and continue to fetch boundaries against the spinners?

Umran gets into the groove

Charith Asalanka is gone now. He looked in pretty decent touch and will consider himself quite unlucky as this delivery was bowled down the leg side by Umran. The batsman just got something through to the keeper and has to walk back. Quite interestingly, the replays suggest that the batsman probably didn't get anything on it. The ball definitely flicked his towel on the way to the keeper but looks like he didn't get bat or glove on it. Strange that he didn't opt for a review.

Dropped!!

Nissanka is beaten for the pace as he mistimes a short delivery off Siraj. The bowler tries to grab the chance for his third wicket and gets to the ball as well before grassing the chance.

Another one

Siraj strikes again!! That's two wickets in two overs for the seamer. Kusal Mendis misses one completely that comes back in after pitching and the ball hits the stumps. Sri Lanka are struggling already in this tall chase.

Early strike

Mohammed Siraj does the trick. Avishka tried to play across a line with the delivery seaming away a touch and the resultant top edge is easily pouched by Hardik. Not what Sri Lanka wanted.

India finish with 373

No boundaries were hit in the final two overs but that is hardly a surprise given India's long tail. That's where Sri Lanka missed a huge chance. Had Kohli been dismissed early, they could have kept India to a lesser total. 374 is going to be one hell of a task for the visitors to chase.

Kohli falls for 113

Oh Rajitha finally gets his man on the third attempt. For a brief period it did look like the chance will go begging again but Kusal Mendis got under the top edge and judged the catch to perfection. Never easy to grab these chances. A top knock from Kohli comes to an end. India will find it difficult to add some runs here with Shami and Siraj out in the middle.

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TOSS: Sri Lanka opt to bowl; Dilshan Madushanka debuts for the visitors

Playing XIs:

India:Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Umran Malik, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Sri Lanka:Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Avishka Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka

Build up

The countdown begins for India with the 2023 World Cup just nine months away now. Given they are hosting the tournament, these ODIs against Sri Lanka and the subsequent ones against New Zealand are vital as they look to finalise their personnel and combination as well. It is indeed going to be quite an interesting dilemma when it comes down to choosing their first choice spinners. Washington Sundar has done well ever since he has come back and there is Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal in the scheme of things.

Will India opt for just two frontline pacers to accommodate all three of them? Or will one of them make way for a third seamer? Another tricky question awaits in the middle order. It's now quite clear that KL Rahul will be donning the gloves while batting in the middle order but will it be Shreyas Iyer or Suryakumar Yadav alongside him? Shreyas has been in sizzling form in the format but Suryakumar has been batting in dreamland over the last few months. Whoever gets left out can count themselves unlucky. The right call has been made in terms of choosing Shubman Gill over Ishan Kishan for the opening slot given Gill's consistent run prior to the Bangladesh series. It's up to him now to hold on to his spot.

Fans definitely have another reason to look forward to as the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the Indian XI. From a Sri Lankan perspective, they did put up a fight in the T20 format before eventually going down in the series but ODIs are of course a different ball game. They will find it a lot harder to compete against India in their own backyard. But remember, India did lose recently to Bangladesh, so take nothing for granted. Welcome to the live blog for this opening ODI. Hopefully, a cracker is in store.