Convincing win for Sri Lanka Emerging XI

Sri Lanka Emerging XI 137 for 1 (Tharanga 57, Paranavitana 55*) beat India Emerging XI 136 (Malinga 4-16) by 9 wickets
Scorecard

The Sri Lankan Emerging XI swept to a resounding nine-wicket win in the first match of the Emerging Team Trophy tournament at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. In a ridiculously one-sided contest, the Sri Lankans bundled out the Indian Emerging XI - which included at least four players who are in contention for the national team - for a mere 136, and then coasted to victory with more than 17 overs to spare.

Nothing went right for the Indians after they lost the toss and were put in to bat. Within eight balls of the start of the match, the Indian XI were reduced to 2 for 3, with Vinayak Mane, Gautam Gambhir, the captain, and Manvinder Bisla all back in the hutch. Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut (25) and Ambati Rayudu (34) steadied the ship somewhat with a 57-run stand, but once that pair was separated, the wickets began to tumble again: four of them went down for the addition of 19 runs as India slumped to 78 for 7.

Dinesh Karthik, the wicketkeeper, led a late revival with a spunky 42, scored off just 52 balls, to lift the Indian XI to 136. Lasith Malinga, a right-arm medium-fast bowler, scalped both Rayudu and Karthik, finishing with excellent figures of 4 for 16.

A target of 137 was far from adequate to test the Sri Lankans. Nishad Paranavitana and Warushavithana Tharanga, the openers, both scored half-centuries in first-wicket partnership of 117 against an Indian attack which boasted L Balaji, Aavishkar Salvi and Irfan Pathan, three seamers who have regularly been part of the A side.

The Indians hardly have much time to recover from the hiding, as they take on Pakistan - the third team in the triangular tournament - on Sunday. Each team will play the other two sides twice, with the top two qualifying for the final, which will be played on October 5.