India ‘A’ hold their nerve to beat Sri Lanka ‘A’ in curtain-raiser

• ‘A’ team One-day Tri-series takes off at Dambulla  
• Cynosure of all eyes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi falls cheaply for 14 after first-ball 4

India ‘A’ pulled off an improbable 8-run win in the opening match of the ‘A’ team One-day Tri-series against hosts Sri Lanka ‘A’ at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Chasing 278, victory was in sight for Sri Lanka ‘A’ with the score reading 262-6 but a stunning collapse saw them lose their last four wickets for just seven runs, handing the game to India ‘A’.

The talk was about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the back of his batting exploits in the IPL. But the southpaw who began with a crisp boundary off his first ball after India ‘A’ had opted to bat first made 14 before falling to an excellent catch from skipper Sahan Arachchige at mid-off. His opening partner Prabhsimran Singh too departed cheaply before him, bringing Player of the Match Ruturaj Gaikwad and Priyansh Arya together at 16-2. The pair added 53 but a chaotic mix-up saw Arya run out for a run-a-ball 32 (4 fours, 1 six), with both batters stranded at one end.

Skipper Tilak Varma joined Gaikwad and the two rescued India ‘A’ with a 150-run stand. Both batsmen were given lives early in their innings - wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella missing a stumping off Gaikwad on 49 and Varma dropped on 9 on the mistimed reverse sweep at midwicket. They also reached their respective half-centuries with a six – Gaikwad getting to his off 65 balls and Varma off 85. Shortly after bringing up his 21st List ‘A’ century playing in his 100th match, Gaikwad slog-swept Wanuja Sahan to deep midwicket to be caught for 101 scored off 114 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes). Tilak followed him to the hut when he was dismissed for 60 off 97 balls (2 fours, 1 six). Ayush Badoni (24 off 18) chipped in with a useful cameo while a 19-run 49th over with Suryansh Shedge slamming a six and two fours enabled India ‘A’ to finish on 277-6.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ began their chase in brisk fashion as Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando raced to 65 in 9 overs. It was the off-spin of Ayush Badoni that broke the 99-ball 93-run stand as Fernando swept one to Sooryavanshi to be dismissed for 45 off 59 balls (7 fours). Shortly after, Badoni struck again as Dickwella swept one off a top-edge to short fine leg to be out for 47 off 45 (6 fours). When Vipraj Nigam had Nuwanidu Fernando stumped off a googly, India ‘A’ were truly back in the game.

Arachchige and Sadeera Samarawickrama added 78 runs. But a rush of blood consumed Samarawickrama for 46 (51 balls, 4 fours) as he holed out to long-on attempting a third boundary in the 34th over. Ravindu Fernando also fell cheaply 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. Despite Chamika Karunaratne's painstaking 21-ball 9 and some tight overs, the target never seemed in doubt as long as Arachchige was in the middle. 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. When Arachchige (74 off 72 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes) was bowled by a superb Kamboj yorker in the 48th over Sri Lanka ‘A’ remained in control and needed just 10 runs off the last two overs.

But the innings nose-dived from there onwards as the pressure got to them and when a momentary brain fade saw Sahan run out at the non-striker's end, it all but ended Sri Lanka ‘A’s hopes. They were bowled out for 269 in the 19th over handing India ‘A’ an incredible win. – [ST]

Scores: 

India ‘A’ 277-6 (50) (Priyansh Arya 32, Ruturaj Gaikwad 101, Tilak Varma 60, Ayush Badoni 24, Suryansh Shedge 26*, Mohamed Shiraz 2/67)

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 269 (48.5) (Niroshan Dickwella 47, Avishka Fernando 45, Sadeera Samarawickrama 46, Sahan Arachchige 74, Wanuja Sahan 23, Arshad Khan 2/24, Anukul Roy 2/49, Ayush Badoni 2/46, Vipraj Nigam 2/46)