India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I: Shivam Mavi stars with the ball as India win by 2 runs

India kickstart their 2023 assignments in a positive fashion as the Men in Blue beat Sri Lanka by just 2 runs in a nerve-wracking encounter on Tuesday in Mumbai.

Hardik Pandya captained the Indian team for the first time on home soil and Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi were handed their T20I debut.

Mavi was scintillating on his debut as he scalped 4 wickets while Deepak Hooda and Ishan Kishan did well with the bat for the hosts. The visitors showed glimpses of immense promise and took the game to the final ball, but fell just 2 runs short.

India scored 162/5 Batting First:

India were put into bat earlier after Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and chose to bowl first. Ishan Kishan gave India a flying start but the hosts lost wickets in regular intervals and were 46 for 3 after the first seven overs.

Shubman Gill, who made his debut in T20Is, fell for just 7 runs in the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana.

Suryakumar Yadav (7) and Sanju Samson (5) also fell cheaply as the visitors out India under pressure. Kishan and skipper Hardik Pandya built a decent partnership but both of them were sent back to the hut and India were 94 for 5 in the 15th over.

Axar Patel and Deepak Hooda brilliance:

But Axar Patel and Deepak Hooda were the saviour for the home side. The pair stitched a 68 runs partnership off just 35 balls to take India beyond 160. The pair batted with authority over the Lankan bowlers and cleared the fence regularly in the final overs. Hooda finished as the highest run-scorer for India with his 41 off just 23 balls, while Axar Patel also used his long handle well (31 off 20 balls).

Sri Lanka chase:

Sri Lanka would have been confident at the innings break. Given the dimensions of the Wankhede stadium, a target of 163 was not a mammoth one by any stretch of the imagination.

Shivam Mavi gave India the early Wickets:

Debutant Shivam Mavi showed no signs of pressure in his first match. He rattled the top-order of the Lankans with two quick wickets in two overs. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya De Silva were his victims as Sri Lanka made a stuttering start.

India continued to inflict blows:

Wickets started to fall continuously for the visitors, courtesy of some brain-fading shot selections from their batters. Ishan Kishan picked up a sensational catch to dismiss Charith Asalanka as Umran Malik picked up one and Harshal Patel picked up two wickets. India were on top with Sri Lanka gasping at 68 for 5 at the end of the 11th over.

But Wanindu Hasaranga and captain Dasun Shanaka started their overhaul. Hasaranga fell Mavi on 21, but Shanaka continued his onslaught against the Indian bowlers. But Umran Malik picked up the Sri Lankan skipper in the 17th over to put a significant dent in their run chase.

Shivam Mavi came back and bowled a fantastic 18th over, conceding just 3 runs off it. The debutant finished the night with fantastic figures of 22 for 4.

Chamika Karunaratne Heroics not enough:

Chamika Karunaratne hit some hefty blows as the Lankans kept themselves just within reach of the target. And in the final over, Karunaratne took on Axar Patel as the left-arm spinner came to bowl the 20th for India with 13 runs needed. He hit one six over mid-wicket, but couldn't manage to take the Lankans over the line.

India won the nerve-jangling match by just 2 runs, thus extending their domination over Sri Lanka in T20I matches.