first.
Sri Lanka, despite being underdogs against the top-ranked hosts, are eyeing their first Test win on Indian soil during the three-match series.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will host India and Bangladesh for a Twenty20 International tri-series in March 2018 to celebrate their 70th year of independence.
A Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) release confirmed seven T20Is to be played from March 8 to 20 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Each team will play each other twice before the final on March 20.
Called the ‘Nidahas Trophy’, the tri-series will also mark the 70th year for Sri Lanka Cricket.
SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala was the visionary behind the Nidahas Trophy in 1998 too, which marked the 50th year of the country’s independence and involved India and New Zealand as the visiting teams.
India had won the trophy then which was played as an One-Day International tri-series.
“We are privileged to be a part of Sri Lanka’s 70th year celebrations, there is no closer friend to the BCCI than Sri Lanka (and Bangladesh) and when Mr. Sumathipala first floated this invitation, there was almost instant agreement that the Indian team would participate for this reason,” Board of Control for Cricket in India CEO Rahul Johri said.
Sumathipala, too, expressed his optimism on the relevance of the series. “70 years is a long journey, and one that needs to be commemorated and celebrated. We are happy that our closest neighbours, who share more or less the same journey of independence, are joining us in this celebration, which we believe will be a milestone and an augur of the great things to come in the annals of cricket.”
Score Board
TOSS: SRI LANKA
INDIA 1ST INNINGS
Rahul c Dickwella b Lakmal 0
Dhawan b Lakmal 8
Pujara b Gamage 52
Kohli lbw b Lakmal 0
Rahane c Dickwella b Shanaka 4
Ashwin c Karunaratne b Shanaka 4
Saha c Mathews b Perera 29
Jadeja lbw b Perera 22
Kumar c Dickwella b Lakmal 13
Shami c Shanaka b Gamage 24
Yadav not out 6
Extras (LB-4, B-6) 10
Total (All out, 59.3 overs) 172
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-13, 3-17, 4-30, 5-50, 6-79, 7-127, 8-128, 9-146, 10-172.
BOWLING: Lakmal 19-12-26-4, Gamage 17.3-5-59-2, Shanaka 12-4-36-2, Karunaratne 2-0-17-0, Herath 2-0-5-0, Perera 7-1-19-2.
SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS
Samarawickrama c Saha b Kumar 23
Karunaratne lbw b Kumar 8
Thirimanne c Kohli b Yadav 51
Mathews c Rahul b Yadav 52
Chandimal not out 13
Dickwella not out 14
Extras (LB-4) 4
Total (4 wkts, 45.4 overs) 165
Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-34, 3-133, 4-138.
Still to bat: Shanaka, Perera, Herath, Lakmal, Gamage.
BOWLING: Kumar 14.4-2-49-2, Shami 13.5-5-53-0, Yadav 13-1-50-2, Ashwin 4-0-9-0, Kohli 0.1-0-0-0.
Match officials: Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS); TV umpire: Anil Chaudhary (IND); Match referee: David Boon (AUS).