India’s Two-Run Victory Over Sri Lanka Is Led By Debutant Shivam Mavi

In the first Twenty20 International match, which took place on Tuesday in Mumbai, India, Shivam Mavi made a dream debut with a relentless performance of fast bowling. His four-wicket haul was the difference in India’s narrow two-run victory over a spirited Sri Lankan team.

Before Deepak Hooda (41) and Axar Patel (31) got the hosts to 162 for five, the Indian hitters had a difficult time clearing the boundary against the spinners bowled by Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan team undoubtedly possessed the firepower necessary to chase down 163, but Mavi’s strikes at the beginning and finish of the innings tipped the balance of the game in favour of the host team.

The spinner Axar Patel was able to protect 13 runs in the final over of the game, which caused the match to come down to the wire. Mavi finished with the impressive statistics of four wickets for 22 runs in four overs.

Both the skipper Dasun Shanaka (45 runs off 27 balls) and Chamika Karunaratne (23 not out off 16 balls) put up a valiant fight, but their efforts were in vain as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 160 in 20 overs.

Hardik Pandya, who is the captain of the team, made the decision to bowl the first over, and the pressure that he created assisted the rookie Mavi at the other end. In his three overs, Hardik allowed only 12 runs, despite bowling at full speed and giving up very little in the way of runs scored.

Mavi’s moment to remember occurred in his first over, when he struck back with great coolness after being blasted for two fours by Kusal Mendis. This was a moment that Mavi would always remember.

Pathum Nissanka was unaware of Mavi’s magnificent delivery that slashed back in to smash the stumps because she had already gotten a life in Hardik’s first over before it was her turn to bat.

Even in his second over, Mavi was hammered for a couple of fours before getting Dhanajaya de Silva caught at mid-on. Dhanajaya de Silva was the batter who was caught.

Ishan Kishan made a spectacular catch while running backwards in the ninth over after Charith Asalanka mistimed a pull off Umran Malik, which resulted in the score being changed to 47 for three.

Harshal Patel, who bowls at a faster pace, got lucky with his first wicket when a dangerous-looking Mendis was caught by the deep point fielder. He then used a slower ball to get rid of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, which left Sri Lanka in a difficult position with 68 runs for five wickets in the 11th over.

After taking Rajapaksa’s catch, Hardik was had to leave the field for a short while.

Hasaranga and Shanaka, who was captaining the team, put up a rapid stand of 40 runs off of 23 balls, which made the game more intriguing.

Hasaranga put the pressure back on the Indians by hammering Yuzvendra Chahal for back-to-back sixes over mid-wicket. This brought the equation down to a very gettable 56 runs off of 36 balls, which was a significant improvement.

Mavi was brought back into the game to break the potentially dangerous combination, and he was successful in doing so when he had Hasaranga caught at mid-off.

Before losing his wicket to Umran in the 17th over, Shanaka was single-handedly keeping Sri Lanka in the game.

The visitors were given a glimmer of hope by Chamika Karunratne in the final over of the match, which amazingly went all the way down to the final over.

As a result of Hardik’s tumble on the field, he was unable to bowl his fourth over, therefore Axar was sent in to defend 13 in the over that was left.

Earlier, when India’s batting lineup was in a precarious position with 94 runs for five wickets at the high-scoring Wankhede Stadium, Hooda and Axar put together an unbeaten 68-run stand for the sixth wicket off just 38 balls.

Kishan (37 off 29), who was playing his first international innings since scoring a double hundred in Bangladesh, went ballistic in the very first over of the game, which resulted in 17 runs being scored.

Right-arm bowler Kasun Rajitha pitched it high, and right away Kishan flicked it over deep square leg for a big six. Kasun Rajitha was looking to generate some swing with his delivery. The next four runs came off of a slower ball that was smashed down the ground, and then Kishan pulled Rajitha for another boundary.

Shubman Gill, who made his Twenty20 debut alongside Mavi, started his innings with a beautiful cover driver off of Dilshan Madhushanka. Mavi also made his T20 debut.

Shanaka delivered with the wicket of Gill, who missed a straighter one from the mystery spinner and was trapped in front of the stumps. Maheesh Theekshana was the spinner who Shanaka used to introduce spin in the third over, and Shanaka delivered with the wicket. Gill, who was holding out hope against all odds, wasted a review in the process.