India defeated Sri Lanka in the opening game of a three-game series in Guwahati on Tuesday, January 10. India won by 67 runs on a cloudy evening in Assam, with Virat Kohli and Umran Malik leading the charge. The start of 2023 could not have been better for India, as Virat Kohli opened his account with a century and skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a blistering 83 on his comeback to international cricket following a thumb injury.
After being sent to bat first, openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma batted aggressively and swiftly. At the time the first wicket fell, India had already scored more than 140 runs in the 19th over of the game.
India skipper Rohit Sharma continued where he left off with a spirited half-century scoring 83 runs. Sharma would be blaming himself for not being able to turn this into a century, which would have been his first since 2020.
Virat Kohli maintained his success in one-day international cricket, scoring his second century in a row. Kohli made 113 runs and led India's batting through the middle overs after the openers departed. Kohli completed his Decima after scoring back-to-back ODI hundreds for the tenth time in his career.
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India pacers overwhelmed Sri Lanka batters on what appeared to be a fantastic batting surface. Despite the hefty pressure, the combination of Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Umran Malik made their presence felt with each taking at least one wicket.
Malik was the most impressive bowler today, bowling at breakneck speed and setting an Indian international record with his 156kph delivery in the 14th over. He took three wickets in eight overs while giving up 57 runs.
Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka's skipper, ignited a late comeback in the game's last 10 overs. Despite being nowhere near the target, Sri Lanka frustrated India's bowlers by extending the game to the final over.
Shanaka's century came on the second last ball of the innings, but he couldn't assist Sri Lanka over the finish line.
With the victory, India has begun 2023 on a high note as they prepare for the ODI World Cup, which will be held in October and November. The teams will now travel to Kolkata for the second encounter, which will be held at the historic Eden Gardens.
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