Kusal Mendis made a triumphant return to the captaincy role, leading Sri Lanka to a commanding victory in the first ODI against the West Indies. The skipper delivered an impressive knock of 72 runs from 62 deliveries, while valuable contributions from opener Pathum Nissanka and the middle-order batsmen propelled Sri Lanka beyond the 300-run milestone. During their chase, the West Indies managed only 262 runs, falling 41 runs short with captain Shai Hope being the sole batsman to reach a half-century. Sri Lanka Claims Opening Match Victory Against West Indies.
TOSS
West Indies won the coin toss and elected to bowl first.
PLAYING XI
West Indies (Playing XI):
Justin Greaves, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(w/c), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
Sri Lanka (Playing XI):
Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Milan Priyanath Rathnayake, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando
SRI LANKA
The West Indies missed an early breakthrough when Nissanka struck the ball directly to Keacy Carty at cover, who failed to hold onto a straightforward catch. Opening batsman Kamindu Mendis registered the match’s first boundary but his stay proved brief as he became the day’s initial casualty. Captain Kusal required 8 deliveries to open his account before launching one over the cow corner boundary to inject momentum into his innings, while Nissanka built his score steadily at the opposite end.
Kusal subsequently targeted Gudakesh Motie’s deliveries, dispatching the left-arm spinner for a maximum before unleashing a barrage of 6,4,6 in another over, forcing Motie out of the bowling attack. This aggressive approach elevated Sri Lanka’s scoring rate beyond five per over after 20 overs and enabled Kusal to reach his half-century ahead of his partner. The batting pair continued their dominance, providing Sri Lanka with an excellent foundation for acceleration. The visitors reached 145/1 at the 25-over mark. Matthew Forde eventually broke the substantial partnership when Kusal edged one high in the air. This breakthrough allowed the West Indies to slow the scoring with several economical overs.
Nissanka finally departed after scoring 79, while Pavan Rathnayake struggled to 24. Sri Lanka stood at 218/3 entering the final 10 overs, and the partnership between Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage provided the perfect conclusion. Asalanka contributed 45 runs while Liyanage remained undefeated on 44, guiding the tourists to 303.
WEST INDIES
The hosts launched their pursuit aggressively from the outset. John Campbell struck the innings’ second delivery for six runs, and Justin Greaves also found his rhythm with consecutive boundaries. Greaves then punished Asitha Fernando with a six and four off back-to-back deliveries as the West Indies stormed to 50 without loss after merely 6 overs. Against expectations, a run-out dismissal broke the opening partnership and allowed Sri Lanka to regain control.
Maheesh Theekshana then dismissed the dangerous Greaves, finally enabling Sri Lanka to restrict the scoring rate. While Hope and Carty stabilized the innings temporarily, the latter’s exit dealt another significant blow to a team requiring a substantial partnership to threaten Sri Lanka’s target.
Sherfane Rutherford couldn’t make his mark and fell victim to Wanindu Hasaranga, while Hope failed to capitalize after reaching fifty. His departure left the West Indies struggling at 167/5, and the outcome became increasingly clear. Roston Chase and Motie extended the match briefly, but their dismissals within five balls sealed the result. Chameera claimed two additional lower-order wickets to complete his four-wicket haul as the West Indies were dismissed in the match’s penultimate over.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 303/7 in 50 overs (Pathum Nissanka 79, Kusal Mendis 72; Matthew Forde 2-44) defeated West Indies 262 in 49.2 overs (Shai Hope 56; Dushmantha Chameera 4-67, Maheesh Theekshana 2-26) by 41 runs.
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