IND VS SL - 1st T20I, Sri Lanka tour of India, 2017

India had iffy starts to the Tests and the ODI series but here, in the T20s series starter, they have taken Sri Lanka by the neck and hammered them into oblivion. Now onto Indore to see if Sri Lanka can make something out of this series, dew or no dew. This is Pratyush Sinha taking leave on behalf of Kumar Abhisekh Das, Abhinand Raghavendran and Nagaraju. Take care, ta-ta!

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Stats round-up from this game - courtesy Deepu Narayanan, our stats editor:

Most dismissals as by a wicketkeeper in 20-over cricket:
207 Kamran Akmal; 200 MS Dhoni; 192 K Sangakkara; 167 D Karthik; 152 D Ramdin

Four-plus dismissals most times in T20Is:
3 MS Dhoni; 2 Adam Gilchrist/ AB de Villiers/ Q de Kock

Most catches as a wicketkeeper in 20-over cricket:
133 K Sangakkara/MS Dhoni; 121 D Karthik; 115 Kamran Akmal

Best figures for Ind vs SL:
4/08 R Ashwin, Vizag, 2016
4/19 A Dinda, Pallekele, 2012
4/23 Y Chahal, Cuttack, 2017

Most balls without a boundary for SL in T20Is:
32 A Mathews v WI, Bengaluru, 2016
28 D Chandimal v SA, Joburg, 2017
28 Kusal Perera v Ind, Cuttack, 2017

Biggest winning margin for India in T20Is (by runs):
93 vs SL, Cuttack, 2017
90 vs Eng, Colombo RPS, 2012
75 vs Eng, Bengaluru, 2017
73 vs Aus, Mirpur, 2014

Lowest totals for SL in T20Is:
82 vs Ind, Vizag, 2016
87 vs Ind, Cuttack, 2017
87 vs Aus, Bridgetown, 2017
92 vs NZ, Lauderhill, 2010
99 vs Pak, Hambantota, 2012

- This is Sri Lanka's sixth consecutive loss in T20Is. One more away from equaling their worst run in T20Is - from 2016 to 2017.

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Yuzvendra Chahal - Player of the Match: "When we started bowling, I was confused for the first few balls about my fielding and all. I got into good rhythm with Tharanga's wicket off the third ball. I was mixing googlies and leg spinners to the left-handers. It was slow and bouncing, so I was just varying the pace according to that. When the wicket is turning, we bowled according to that. We both enjoy bowling with each other (about Kuldeep). We are used to bowling with the wet ball. And we had enough of a total on the board, thanks to Mahi bhai and Manish, so we could flight the ball. And the wicket was turning too."

Rohit Sharma (2/2): For a long time, MS has taken up the role of finishing and we feel it's time for someone else to do the job. MS can play freely in the middle. We didn't know what a good score here would be like. 180 was a great effort by the batting unit. Those two guys (Chahal and Kuldeep), if you look at their careers over the last few months, they have always been a wicket-taking option in the middle. It's important to understand what the team expects them and they've delivered. They don't fail to impress us. Also Unadkat, playing his first game (in a while) and he bowled well too. Bumrah and Hardik understand their jobs as well. Overall, very happy with the bowling; the conditions weren't so easy. I hope they go from strength to strength."

Rohit Sharma - captain, India: (1/1) "I said earlier that toss isn't going to make much of a difference. Dew was there for forty overs. Nothing changed. I don't think it was much easier to bat later on. Conditions remained the same. I think KL Rahul at the top was a great move. He wasn't a part of the ODI squad but he came and showed that he belongs here. He batted magnificently and we felt that he was hitting the ball well. And great finish to the batting innings by MS and Manish, who hasn't got much game time to come and bat like that. We can't talk much about MSD. He didn't get much batting in the ODIs but shows that class is permanent. We expect a lot from him and No.4 position paid off. He is someone who's played and won so many games, so moving forward we feel, in this format, No.4 will be ideal for him which can allow Manish and Dinesh to finish the innings"

Thisara Perera - captain, Sri Lanka: "Yeah, in these conditions, we won the toss and bowled (hinting that it was the right decision). Their batters did well and their spinners bowled really well in these conditions. Chasing 160-170 here (would have been easier). We can chase 180 if we get a good start. The middle-order had to continue the good performance. Really disappointed with our batting line-up. We worked really hard in the practice sessions, so we have to come with (the goods against India's spinners). We don't have any players apart from these. We have to choose from this squad of fifteen. We have to do the job in the next match."

Hang on for the presentations..

Manish Pandey: "I was waiting to bat. It's been two games, I've been just padded up and have not batted. It was a good start. We started really well. KL and Rohit gave a good start. In the middle, me and Mahi knew our roles. Every game I play, I have to get runs, this is what I keep thinking about and try to contribute; felt good. The last innings I played against SL, it was a good one. Take a little few balls to start with; once you get your eye in, just start to hit. Some tips (received from Dhoni) here and there. He was asking me to move across and hit. Pretty happy to have a partnership with MS. It's good to always start well. It was a great win for us. We should continue to play well."

10:16pm local: Gosh, don't put down this win to just Sri Lanka's ineptitude. Yes, Indian bowlers had 180 odd runs to defend but they also had buckets of dew to contend with. Against two wristspinners bowling this late at Cuttack, Sri Lanka had equal stakes in the game, something that India's spinners chipped away with refreshing display of flight and spin, defying the dew like it never arrived. Rohit Sharma took his time between the overs, wiping the ball, and thus dictating the pace of the game. Undakat got the bowling off to a great start, flummoxing Sri Lanka with his cutters and the spin-twins, Chahal and Kuldeep, followed up beautifully. Six wickets between them, and that twinned with Dhoni-Pandey partnership towards the end sunk Sri Lanka.

Hardik Pandya to Fernando, out Caught by Unadkat!! India's biggest T20I win - by 93 runs. Hardik Pandya drops the cutter short and has Fernando chipping it straight to point. Fernando c Unadkat b Hardik Pandya 2(2)

Hardik Pandya to Fernando, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Hardik Pandya to Fernando, 2 runs, full ball, he stays leg-side of the ball and opens the bat face through to third man

10:16pm local: Gosh, don't put down this win to Sri Lanka's ineptitude.

Hardik Pandya to Chameera, out Caught by Rahul!! Another one. Taken at deep square leg by Rahul. Wanted to swat it across but was let down by the variation of pace. Ball coming slowly onto the bat and spooning to the fielder in the deep. Chameera c Rahul b Hardik Pandya 12(14) [4s-2]

Hardik Pandya to Chameera, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

This match is headed only one way.

Hardik Pandya to Chameera, no run, he's getting good movement off the pitch here. This one jags in too and hits Chameera on the front thigh

Hardik Pandya to Chameera, no run, uncouth swing across the line but this ball's too short to be doing that. Cuts through Chameera's bat swing