India ‘A’ held their nerve in a tense finish to register an 8-run victory over Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the opening match of the Tri-Nation ‘A’ One Day Series played at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
After winning the toss, India ‘A’ skipper Tilak Varma elected to bat first and his side posted a competitive 277 for 6 in their allotted 50 overs.
Vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led the charge with a magnificent century, anchoring the innings with a composed batting display. Skipper Varma also made a valuable contribution, scoring a well-crafted half-century to help India ‘A’ build a formidable total.
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For Sri Lanka ‘A’, fast bowler Mohamed Shiraz was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 2 wickets for 67 runs.
Chasing 278 for victory, Sri Lanka ‘A’ made a promising start through openers Avishka Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella. The pair added 93 runs for the first wicket to lay a solid platform for the chase.
Fernando contributed 45 runs while Dickwella narrowly missed out on a half-century, scoring 47. Sadeera Samarawickrama then continued the momentum with a useful knock of 46 runs at No. 4.
The innings was held together by skipper Sahan Arachchige, who produced a magnificent captain’s knock under pressure. Batting at No. 5, Arachchige scored 74 runs off 72 deliveries, striking six boundaries and two sixes to keep Sri Lanka ‘A’ firmly in contention.
At one stage, the hosts appeared to be in complete control of the chase, reaching 237 for 5 after 44 overs and requiring just 41 runs from the final 36 deliveries with five wickets in hand.
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However, the match turned dramatically following the dismissal of Arachchige. India ‘A’ tightened their grip with disciplined bowling and crucial breakthroughs, triggering a collapse that saw Sri Lanka ‘A’ lose their remaining wickets while still short of the target.
Sri Lanka ‘A’ will now turn their attention to their second fixture of the tournament, where they will face Afghanistan ‘A’ on 13th June at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
Brief Scores
India ‘A’ – 277/6 (50) Ruturaj Gaikwad 101, Tilak Varma 60, Mohamed Shiraz 2/67
Sri Lanka ‘A’ – 269 (48.5) Sahan Arachchige 74, Niroshan Dickwella 47, Sadeera Samarawickrama 46, Avishka Fernando 45, Wanuja Sahan 23, Arshad Khan 2/24
Result – India ‘A’ won by 8 runs
