Kohli, Dhoni make Dambulla entry in style

There is a serious need for the home team to shut their critics, but a tough task lies ahead with in-form and confident India looking to continue their dominance in the ODI series, with the first match set to be played on Sunday, August 20.

Dambulla – Indian spinners led by Axar Patel triggered a Sri Lankan batting collapse after a strong start, restricting them to 216 in the first one-day worldwide on Sunday. The only T20 match will be played in Colombo’s Premdasa stadium on September 6.

India has made wholesale changes to the squad and now the country is ready to display its extravaganza in two years time.

He also sympathised with the Sri Lankan team, saying a few comforting words for the rival team, which has failed terribly.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are in Sri Lanka and this is what they are busy doing, together.

Result: India won by nine wickets.

Sri Lanka and Indian sub-continent: TV: Sony Ten.

Dickwella, who top-scored for the hosts with 64, continued the good work and added 65 for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis, who made a fluent 36.

For Sri Lanka, Chamara Kapugedera, Thisara Perera and Vishwa Fernando are a part of the playing XI. The opening pair is likely to be Shikhar Dhawan and newly appointed vice captain Rohit Sharma. On two other occasions, Sri Lanka have had a worse collapse for their last nine wickets against India.

Kohli, meanwhile, has three spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal – to choose from.

16 – Runs accumulated by Sri Lanka’s last six batsmen, their lowest ever against India.

India, who outplayed Sri Lanka in three-match Test series, start as firm favourites as the limited-overs leg of the tour commences as Virat Kohli-led visitors take on Upul Tharanga’s unit.

“This is the time for us to prove a point to the world, prove that we have the talent and ability regroup and win matches”, he said ” We want to win. AxarPatel was the key bowler with the figure of 3/34, Bumrah, Chahal and Jadhav took 2 wickets each.

Lower-order players Thisara Perera (0), Lakshan Sandakan (5) and Lasith Malinga (8) tried to make up for the middle-order collapse but failed and thus, after a ideal start, the Islanders were restricted to 216.