Dambulla, Sri Lanka: Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan credited his mental preparation for his wondrous form which helped the visitors rout Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the first One Day International match on Sunday.
Power-packed innings from Man of the Match Dhawan (132 in 90 balls) and skipper Virat Kohli (82 off 70) guided India to a comfortable victory. Both players forged a 197-run partnership for the second wicket.
“Things have been going well for me and I’ve just been focusing on my processes. I have mental freedom and when you perform well, you have extra confidence. By the grace of God, things are going my way,” Dhawan said after the match.
Skipper Virat Kohli also praised Dhawan for his innings and said the team wanted him to stay in the happy zone, which he is in now.
“The last three months have been a great time for Dhawan and he’s cashing in on his purple patch. Hopefully he stays in this happy zone and we’ll make sure he stays there, because he will win you games as long he’s in it. Once he starts going, it’s very difficult to stop him,” Kohli said.
If the home fans had hoped the change in format would bring a change in fortune, they were left bitterly disappointed with India breezing to their 217-run target in under 29 overs.
Having been adjudged the man of the series in the Tests, Dhawan, who also hit three sixes, continued to plunder runs off the Sri Lankan bowlers.
He brought up his hundred in 71 balls and got to the three-figure mark with three fours in an over against leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
Kohli was more measured in his approach and hit 10 fours and a six in his innings.
Sri Lanka had appeared set to post a challenging total after Kohli won the toss and asked the hosts to bat first.
Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka added 74 in their opening stand before the latter played a bizarre reverse sweep to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to get caught out at cover for 35.
Dickwella, who top-scored for the hosts with 64, continued the good work and added 65 for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis, who made a fluent 36.
Sri Lanka looked well placed to score in excess of 300, but then the hosts collapsed, losing their next nine wickets for the addition of 77 runs.
From 139-1 in the 25th over, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 216 with 40 deliveries still remaining in their innings.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was the pick of India’s bowlers, taking 3-34 while Chahal, part-time off-spinner Kedar Jadhav and paceman Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets apiece.
The second ODI in the five-match series will be played in Pallekele on Thursday.
