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Cuttack: Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan's ton and Ishant Sharma 4-34 haul helped India beat Sri Lanka by 169-run in first ODI of the series on Sunday.
While the batsmen continued to dominate the performances with Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane hitting fluent centuries, it was the pace bowling triumvirate of Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma that impressed under lights and heavy dew at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
An early start to day/night fixtures on account of the dew prompted Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to put the hosts in to bat, but an extremely good batting surface, coupled by rapid centuries from Ajinkya Rahane 111 off 108 with 13 fours and two sixes and Shikhar Dhawan compiles 113 off 107 and he hits 14 boundaries and three maximum took out any advantage the chasing side may have had.
The Indian openers added 231 runs in 35 overs, and despite their quick dismissals soon after, the middle order powered them to 363 for 5 in the first game of the five-match contest.
In reply Sri Lanka were bowled out for 194 inside 40 overs, with Ishant picking up 4 for 34 - his best bowling figures in ODI cricket - to highlight an eye-catching performance from the Indian seamers, even though India would be sweating over the status of Aaron, who had hobbled off the field while bowling his fifth over with a thigh strain.
While India impressed, Sri Lanka were left to rue their poor bowling performance and the batsmen's inability to put pressure on India's bowlers instead, with only Mahela Jayawardene (43, 36b, 6x4, 1x6) looking comfortable in the middle until hitting straight into Virat Kohli's hands off Akshar Patel.
The Sri Lankan batsmen would have expected some freebies especially early on with the new ball, but Yadav and Aaron began probingly, repeatedly beating the outside edges of both Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
India's pace bowling duo cranked up the pace from the start and the Sri Lankan openers struggled to time the ball. Dilshan fell to Yadav caught behind for 18 in the ninth over and Sri Lanka had failed to get a move on. Kumar Sangakkara's wicket for 13 made matters worse, and the trend of regular wickets continued right until the last wicket.
Earlier, Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to field.
India rested all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Lahiru Gamage for Sri Lanka.
Teams
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli (Capt.), Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Akshar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews (Capt.), Ashan Priyanjan, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Suraj Randiv, Dhammika Prasad, Lahiru Gamage
Brief scores
India - 363/5 (Dhawan 113, Rahane 111, Raina 52, Randiv 3-78)
Sri Lanka - 194 (Jayawardene 43, Ishant 4-34)
Result - India won by 169 runs
MOM - Suresh Raina (India)
