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| Visitors register 21-run win despite Sangakkara ton Photo Credit: BCCI |
Hambantota: With Virat Kohli century knock of 106, Virender Sehwag’s superb 96 and Irfan Pathan economical balling spells India defeated Sri Lanka by 21 runs in the opening one-day international in Hambantota on Saturday to gain a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Batting first, India posted 314-6.
Chasing a target of 315 runs to win, Sri Lanka finished with 293 for 9 with Kumar Sangakkara leading the chase with a vital but slow 133 off 151 balls.
Thisara Perera (44) tried to get Sri Lanka home with some lusty blows at the far end of the innings but the hosts fell short by 21 runs. Pacemen Irfan Pathan and Umesh Yadav, and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin each bagged two wickets for India.
Kohli carried his good form of the last season into the match as he scored his fourth hundred in his last five innings. The 23-year-old Kohli blasted nine boundaries in his 113-ball innings.
Sehwag, who was given reprieve by Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second over, had 10 boundaries in his 97-ball innings.
Both the teams will now travel to Colombo for the second match, scheduled for Tuesday.
Brief scores:
India: 314 for six in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 106, Virender Sehwag 96, Suresh Raina 50; Thisara Perera 3/70).
Sri Lanka: 293 for nine in 50 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 133, Thisara Perera 44; R Aswhin 2/46, Irfan Pathan 2/37).