India 202-5 (20 overs): Abhishek 61 (31), Tilak 49* (34), Samson 35 (24); Theekshana 1-36
Sri Lanka: yet to bat
India ticked along nicely on a warm Colombo evening, finishing on 202 for five – the highest total of this Asia Cup so far – without ever appearing rushed or rattled.
Abhishek Sharma set things up in the Powerplay, carving 61 from 31 balls. “I just wanted to back my shots and stay brave,” he told the host broadcaster, the smile doing half the talking for him. His timing through the off side meant India crossed fifty inside five overs, even though Sri Lanka’s out-cricket was mostly sharp.
The hosts didn’t exactly bowl badly. Maheesh Theekshana found turn, Dushmantha Chameera hurried the batters with the short ball, and five different bowlers picked up a wicket apiece. As assistant coach Naveed Nawaz noted at the interval, “We hit our lengths, we held our catches – sometimes 200 still happens.”
It kept happening because Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson managed the middle overs smartly, adding 66 from 42 deliveries. Samson’s footwork against spin stood out; one long stride down the track sent Dunith Wellalage over extra-cover, a shot that briefly silenced a noisy home crowd. When Samson holed out, Tilak switched gears, peppering mid-wicket and third man to end unbeaten on 49.
Despite those intermittent breakthroughs, every time Sri Lanka sensed a slowdown, India located another boundary. No bowler went for fewer than six an over; none conceded more than 15 in an over either – a strange sort of stalemate that still left Sri Lanka chasing plenty.
Former opener Wasim Jaffer summed the innings up from the commentary box: “India weren’t reckless; they were just consistently ahead of the rate, and that’s a hard thing to bowl at.”
The chase, on a surface that hasn’t noticeably slowed, will test Sri Lanka’s batting depth. For now, India have runs on the board and momentum in the bag – though as captain Hardik Pandya reminded his side in the huddle, “Two good overs with the new ball and this total can look different.”
