SL VS ZIM - 1st T20I, Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka 2024

That is that from the first T20I. If this game is any indication of what's to come, we are in for a high-octane T20I series with 2 more to go. The next one is on Tuesday. Same place, same time. Do remember to join us for that. Until next time, cheers and goodbye!!

Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lankan skipper: Our bowlers did a great job, our batters should take more responsibility. Our bowlers did the job and kept them to a decent score so it wouldn't have mattered whether we batted first or second. In the middle overs, we played a lot of dot balls and that is something we would like to work on. We have a really balanced side and if we play the middle overs well, we can easily chase this type of target.

Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwean skipper: This has been the story of Zimbabwean cricket for some time now. Unfortunately we have come out second best today, but I'm still very confident that these are the boys that will change the fortunes of Zimbabwean cricket. We felt 145 was a decent score, credit to Sri Lanka for putting us under pressure and scoring 34 in the last 3 overs. My personal enjoyment will only come when we win, there is no enjoyment until we turn the ship around.

Angelo Mathews | Player of the Match: Felt like playing my debut. I wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone. It was just another opportunity for me to try and do the job for my team. It was a slow wicket and was important to stay till the end. Zimbabwe played really well, Sikandar batted really well and bowled really well. We kept losing wickets at crucial intervals, I stuck in there and Dasun played really well in the end. We needed to get 10 RPO, so we had to keep pushing ourselves and run hard as well.

22:25 local, 16:55 GMT, 22:25 IST: Phewf! That was some nerve-racking stuff. Sri Lanka were in deep trouble at the end of 14th over having lost 6 wickets for 83. If there was one pair that the home team would have wanted at that stage, it would have been Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka. The senior pros proved what experience can do as they took the game till the last over and found timely boundaries in the process to keep the game alive. In the end, luck did play its part as well. Zimbabwean spinners were top-notch as they conceded just 38 runs off 9 overs and picked up 4 crucial wickets while at it. The visitors seemed favourites to win at the end of 15th over (87/6), but Sri Lanka managed to pick up at least one boundary every over during the final five overs. Stick around for the post-match reactions...

Muzarabani to Chameera, 2 runs, Chameera has done it for Sri Lanka. He picks the slower full delivery from outside off and chips it in the gap to the right of deep mid-wicket. Easy two and Sri Lanka win the last-ball thriller by 3 wickets to go 1-0 up in the 3-match series

2 needed off the final ball

Muzarabani to Chameera, FOUR, dug in short at the batter at 140ks, Chameera takes his eyes off his ball but still goes through with the pull. He gets a thick top-edge and it flies over the keeper for a one-bounce boundary..

Dushmantha Chameera, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Muzarabani to Mathews, out Caught by W Masakadza!! Pin drop silence at the stadium. Mathews clears his front leg and heaves the slower full delivery from outside off, packs plenty of power but doesn't get the desired timing on it. It hangs in the air for a long time and picks out the fielder at deep mid-wicket. Are we in for a super-over here? Mathews c W Masakadza b Muzarabani 46(38) [4s-5 6s-1]

Muzarabani to Mathews, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Sri Lanka just one hit away now

Muzarabani to Mathews, no run, slower ball bumper on the stumps, Mathews backs away and looks to flay it over backward point. Beaten for lack of pace...

Muzarabani to Mathews, FOUR, cheeky! Mathews backs away once again and uses the pace on offer to dab it away really late in the gap between keeper and short third. The crowd has gone bonkers in Colombo...

10 needed from 5

Muzarabani to Mathews, FOUR, stand and deliver! Full and straight from Muzarabani, Mathews backs away a touch and lifts it off the full face of the bat back over the bowler's head. No chance for the fielders at long-on/long-off...

Blessing Muzarabani [3.0-0-19-1] is back into the attack

14 needed from 6. It's Muzarabani to bowl the pressure over...

Ngarava to Shanaka, FOUR, much-needed boundary for Sri Lanka. Shanaka premeditates the lap sweep and moves across his off stump, he gets a low full toss outside off and it's been neatly helped away to the fine leg fence...

18 needed from 7