India A opened their short tour of Sri Lanka with a tense eight-run victory at a sweltering Dambulla, a match made more intriguing by the presence of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The surface was slow, occasionally two-paced, and scoring never felt straightforward, yet the visitors held their nerve to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Sooryavanshi’s brief but bright debut
The teenager’s arrival in Sri Lanka sparked curiosity among supporters and media alike. After Prabhsimran Singh played out a maiden over, Sooryavanshi’s very first delivery in List A cricket disappeared over the in-field for four. Three more boundaries followed, each struck cleanly, before an ambitious lofted drive off seamer Mohamed Shiraz was brilliantly held at mid-off by home captain Sahan Arachchige. Fourteen runs from twelve balls is only a teaser, but there are three group matches – and possibly a final – left for the youngster before he joins the senior squad in Ireland.
Gaikwad shows his range in the middle order
Ruturaj Gaikwad was drafted in only after Riyan Parag’s late withdrawal and was immediately named vice-captain. Promoted to No. 4, he produced a calm, 114-ball 101 that underpinned India A’s 277. On a surface offering Sri Lanka A’s spinners considerable grip, he limited risk, picking gaps and running hard. Just six fours and three sixes came from his bat, but they were enough to drive a 150-run stand with skipper Tilak Varma.
Gaikwad was on 49 when wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella fluffed a routine stumping off leg-spinner Vijaykanth Viyaskanth. The reprieve proved costly: the next ball disappeared into the crowd and Gaikwad never looked back. It was his 21st List A hundred in only his 96th appearance – faster to that mark than anyone before, eclipsing Pakistan’s Khurram Manzoor, who needed 130 matches.
Lower-order lift from Shedge
Suryansh Shedge’s 26 not out from just 14 deliveries pushed India A beyond 270. The Mumbai all-rounder has been spoken of as part of the search for seam-bowling options behind Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube. Here, he offered further evidence, later finding movement with the new ball and bowling a tidy opening burst that helped keep Sri Lanka A behind the rate.
Arachchige leads home fight
Sri Lanka A’s reply revolved around their captain. Arachchige compiled a measured 74, manoeuvring the field and waiting for anything remotely short. Support, though, was patchy. Dickwella chipped in with 43 but fell to a miscued pull, and once the spinners found rhythm the pressure told.
Needing 34 from the final three overs with two wickets in hand, Sri Lanka A looked capable, only for left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh to nail consecutive yorkers and remove Viyaskanth. The last wicket pair scrambled 15, but Shardul Thakur’s slower ball in the final over settled matters.
What’s next
The sides meet again on Friday, with India A eager to tighten their bowling in the powerplay and Sri Lanka A seeking greater support for Arachchige. Sooryavanshi’s next innings will, inevitably, draw fresh attention.
