NEW DELHI: Pathum Nissanka struck a well-judged 79 and Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis made 72 as the hosts secured a 41-run win over the West Indies in the opening One-Day International on Wednesday.
Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka posted 303/7, laying the foundation with a pivotal 136-run partnership for the second wicket between Nissanka and Mendis. Charith Asalanka contributed 45, while Janith Liyanage finished unbeaten on 44 to help the innings reach a strong total.
In response, West Indies captain Shai Hope anchored the chase with a 56 from 66 balls, and opener Justin Greaves struck 45 off 38. Still, despite a few encouraging periods of batting, the West Indies side were dismissed for 262 in the final over, falling short of the target.
The chase started on solid terms, with the visitors collecting 50 runs for the first wicket and adding another 52 for the third. However, regular dismissals disrupted the tempo, and the required run rate kept climbing. Roston Chase provided some resistance with 33, but once he was removed—bowled by Dushmantha Chameera—the contest effectively swung Sri Lanka’s way.
Chameera ended as Sri Lanka’s leading wicket-taker, returning figures of 4/67. Earlier in Sri Lanka’s innings, West Indies had won the toss and chose to field on a track expected to suit slower bowlers, and they struck early when Kamindu Mendis was dismissed for 12 in the seventh over.
From there, Nissanka and Kusal Mendis took charge, stitching together their 136-run stand to drive Sri Lanka into a commanding position. Mendis made a quick 72 off 62 deliveries before being dismissed when the score moved to 158/2. Nissanka then continued to hold the innings together, eventually getting out for 79 from 102 balls.
West Indies looked for breakthroughs in the middle overs, but Asalanka and Liyanage frustrated the attack with a valuable 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket, which enabled Sri Lanka to cross the 300-mark. Hope’s dismissal at 167/5 in the 31st over left West Indies with an increasingly difficult task, and the lower order could not generate a late surge to change the outcome.
There was also a brief delay near the end when a floodlight malfunction forced players off the field due to poor light. By that stage, though, the result was already largely shaped, with West Indies needing 43 runs from only eight balls and just one wicket remaining.
The second match of the three-game series will be played in Kingston on Saturday, with the final ODI scheduled for Monday at Sabina Park.
