Axar Patel reacted to Team India’s win in the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka, which marked the start of the Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir era in Men in Blue. The new captain and head coach combination started on a winning note with a 43-run victory in Pallekele.
Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka’s new captain, won the toss and opted to field first at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
India got off to a fast start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (40) and Shubman Gill (34) scoring 74 runs in 6 overs for the first wicket. Then Suryakumar Yadav scored 58 in 26 balls as captain, while Rishabh Pant hit 49 in 33 balls after struggling initially. India finished with 213/7 from 20 overs. Matheesha Pathirana of Sri Lanka chose 4/40.
Pathum Nissanka responded by thrashing the Indian bowlers, scoring 84 runs for the first wicket in 8.4 overs. Mendis was out for 45, but Nissanka and Kusal Perera continued to attack the Indian bowlers as Sri Lanka raced to 140/1 in 14 overs.
But then the wickets began to fall, beginning with Nissanka, who smashed 79 in 48 balls, and then Perera, who returned for 20 runs. Indian bowlers subsequently tightened the noose around Lankan batters, as Sri Lanka collapsed for 170 runs in 19.2 overs.
Riyan Parag grabbed 3/5, with Arshdeep Singh and Akshar Patel both taking two wickets, as India won the first match by 43 runs.
‘I’m playing for 10 years… Coach, captain keep changing but the team remains same’: Axar Patel
This was the first victory under the new regime of captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir. Axar, who has been an integral part of the team for the last decade or so, said the captain and coach may change but the team and the players remain focused.
“I have been playing for 10 years. I have played with different coaches and captains. I don’t think a lot will change in the team. When we were talking in the team meeting, they also said the same thing that the coach and captain keep changing but the team remains the same and the 11 or 15 players who stay, they have to do it,” Axar said after the match.
“They have told us that we will play the way we have been playing. Obviously, the coach and his input can be different. The thinking can be different, they keep telling you here and there. But there is not much change in the team’s atmosphere,” he added.
Axar Patel took 2-38 in four overs, while part-time spinner Riyan Parag ripped through the lower order, finishing with a career-high three wickets for five runs in eight deliveries.
The teams will play again on Sunday and Tuesday, followed by three one-day international matches.
Also Read: Can Hardik Pandya Mark His Return In Tests? India’s T20 World Cup Winning Coach Reveals
