Gaikwad ton and SL A lower order collapse hand India A win
India A recorded an improbable win in their tri-series opener against hosts Sri Lanka A in Dambulla on Tuesday (June 9), snatching victory by an 8-run margin. Chasing 278, victory was in sight for Sri Lanka A with the score reading 262/6 but a stunning implosion saw them lose their last four wickets for just seven runs, handing the game to India A.
The buzz was around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the back of his MVP exploits in the IPL. And the southpaw began with a crisp boundary off his first ball after India A opted to bat first. He pocketed two more boundaries but Sri Lanka's new ball bowlers extracted movement on a windy day. After Sooryavanshi was caught perfectly at mid-off by captain Sahan Arachchige, Prabhsimran Singh also departed quickly, bringing Ruturaj Gaikwad and Priyansh Arya together at 16/2. To get the game started, Arya lofted a full ball from Mohamed Shiraz over extra cover for six, and he continued to score boundaries on a regular basis as Gaikwad played second fiddle.
The partnership for the third wicket was worth 53 runs but a chaotic mix-up saw Arya run out, with both batters stranded at one end and Gaikwad just about beating him to the crease. Skipper Tilak Varma then joined Gaikwad, who motored along at a decent clip although the Sri Lankan spinners kept the scoring rate in check. Tilak played at a laborious pace throughout his innings, reaching 18 off 52 at one point, but even consecutive boundaries from Arachchige weren't enough to free him completely. Gaikwad reached his half-century with a straight six and continued to tick along at a decent rate, although there was no evident sense of urgency despite India's very deep batting lineup.
With a six on his 85th delivery, Tilak also reached fifty, and Gaikwad soon followed with his 21st List A century. Before Tilak followed him to the hut, he slog-swept Wanuja Sahan to deep midwicket, reminiscent of multiple such dismissals in the IPL. Ayush Badoni (24 off 18) chipped in with a useful cameo while a 19-run 49th over headlined by Suryansh Shedge slamming a six and two fours added the late thrust that India A were after. India A finished the match on 277/6, with Shedge remaining unbeaten on 26 out of 14.
Niroshan Dickwella scored a boundary off the very first ball, kicking off Sri Lanka A's fast chase. Avishka Fernando hit consecutive boundaries against Anshul Kamboj in the third over, and she did the same thing against Arshad Khan. But Dickwella was the aggressor, his wristy flicks and fine glances standing out while an audacious scoop off Kamboj was the highlight. Kamboj continued to bear the brunt of the openers' onslaught as Sri Lanka A raced to 65 in 9 overs.
Shedge dried up an end with Anukul Roy keeping things tight himself. However, Fernando swept one to Sooryavanshi, breaking the 93-run stand with the offspin of Ayush Badoni. Badoni struck once more shortly after Dickwella swept one off a top-edge to short fine leg. When Vipraj Nigam had Nuwanidu Fernando stumped off a googly, India A were truly back in the game.
Arachchige transferred some pressure back onto the Indians with a six and a couple of fours, while Samarawickrama proved to be an able foil as the duo ate into the deficit. A rush of blood consumed Samarawickrama, however, as he holed out to long on while attempting a third boundary off Roy in the 34th over. Roy also had Ravindu Fernando out caught and bowled but Arachchige ticked along, becoming the third batter in the game to reach his fifty with a maximum while taking just 43 deliveries to get there.
As long as Arachchige was in the middle, the target never seemed in doubt, despite Chamika Karunaratne's laborious 21-ball 9 and some tight overs. Wanuja Sahan brought the asking rate under a run-a-ball with a couple of smart boundaries - a reverse-sweep and a dab through the third man region - but India A stretched the game deep. Arachchige was bowled by an inch-perfect Kamboj yorker in the 48th over but Sri Lanka A remained in control and needed just 10 runs off the last two overs.
That's when all hell broke loose as Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was given out LBW, with Arshad busy trying to get to the ball instead of appealing. Sahan called his partner for a run from the non-striker's end after a moment of brainfade, even as the ball rolled just behind him. Gaikwad, who was at short midwicket, quickly ran in, grabbed the ball, and walked to the stumps to remove the bails. A few deliveries later, Vipraj made a diving catch at deep square leg to ensure India A's incredible victory.
