Related Links: Sri Lanka Tour of India 2014 | Micromax Cup 2014 – 1st ODI at Cuttack – Scorecard details
India thrashed Sri Lanka by 169 runs in the 1st ODI of the Micromax Cup 2014 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday. This massive win for the hosts was set up by a record opening stand from Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan.
Asked to bat first by Angelo Mathews, India piled up 363 for 5 in the allotted 50 overs. Ajinkya Rahane scored a fluent knock of 111 from 108 balls with 13 fours and 2 sixes which got him the Man of the Match award. Shikhar Dhawan was the top scorer though with 113 from 107 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes.
Ajinkya Rahane
The pair of Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan added 231 runs for the first wicket in 35 overs which is the third-highest opening partnership for India in ODIs. While Ajinkya Rahane registered his 2nd ODI century, for Shikhar Dhawan it was already a 6th ODI century.
India got a grand finish after the record opening stand thanks to a rapid knock of 52 from 34 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes from Suresh Raina who was playing his 200th ODI. The left-handed Suresh Raina also went past 5000 ODI runs during this cameo of his.
Sri Lanka chasing 364 were bowled out for 194 in 39.2 overs. Mahela Jayawardene was the top scorer with 43 from 36 balls. The Indian pace trio of Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma did a fabulous job. Varun Aaron had to leave the field though with an injury but Virat Kohli had enough bowling resources to bank on.
Ishant Sharma claimed his best bowling performance of 8-1-34-4 while there were a couple of wickets each for Umesh Yadav and left-arm spinner Akshar Patel.