Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav following India’s dramatic victory over Sri Lanka in the first T20I at Pallekele on Saturday.
India secured a 43-run win, dismissing Sri Lanka for 170 after they had been well-placed at 140/1. Axar Patel played a key role, taking out Pathum Nissanka (79) and Kusal Perera (20) in the 15th over, disrupting a crucial partnership of 56 runs.
Following Nissanka’s dismissal, Sri Lanka collapsed, losing their final nine wickets for just 30 runs. Axar Patel finished with 2/38. Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to bring Riyan Parag into the attack proved effective, with Parag claiming three wickets in eight balls, including the last one. Pathan commended SKY’s tactical acumen and his decision to bowl Parag, noting his insightful captaincy.
Irfan Pathan Praises Suryakumar Yadav, and Axar Patel After India’s Win
“Axar Patel’s brilliant over turned the game for India, claiming two crucial wickets. Stellar captaincy from Surya, bringing in Riyan Parag for an over to dismiss the left-hander with his off-spin. Caught the pulse of the game really well. #INDvSL” tweeted Pathan just after the game.
It was SKY’s first game as India’s full-time T20I captain and it ended with a win. Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal gave a good start to the side with a quick-fire 40 off 21 balls.
Yadav batting in his first match as T20I captain scored 58 off 26 balls his 19th T20I fifty. Rishabh Pant also scored 49 off 33 balls and played his part in taking the team to 213.
The chase began well for the Lankans with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis (45) adding 84 for the first wicket in nine overs.
Arshdeep Singh broke the crucial partnership, setting the stage for Axar Patel to further dismantle the Sri Lankan batting lineup. Suryakumar Yadav, who was named Player of the Match, achieved his 16th such award, matching Virat Kohli’s record of 16 Player of the Match honors. Rohit Sharma is the other Indian with 14 such accolades.
Gautam Gambhir applied his coaching strategies from KKR to the Indian team, keeping a right-left batting combination. This approach led to Riyan Parag being promoted over Rinku Singh after Hardik Pandya’s dismissal. Axar Patel’s quick 10 runs off 5 balls were pivotal, helping India surpass the 210-run mark.
India and Sri Lanka have now played 30 T20I matches and the first T20I win was the 20th win for the Men in Blue against the Lankans. Sri Lanka have won nine T20Is against India.
The second T20I will be played on Sunday followed by the third on Tuesday. The two teams then play a three-match ODI series with the matches in Colombo on August 2,4 and 7.
