Sri Lanka went down by 2 runs to India in the first T20 in a thriller losing the last two wickets by run outs chasing 5 off 3 as Chamika Karunaratne, who had reduced a 29-run deficit off the last overs to 13 off the final one and hammered the third ball off Axar for six over mid wicket, was bogged down to two singles off the last two balls that saw Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka fall going for the second run in a Tuesday night drama at the Wankhede International Cricket Stadium.

Chasing 163 after a new look Indian outfit had totalled 162 for 5 off 20, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 160 with the last gasp effort of Chamika Karunaratne taking it to the wire but falling short of the decisive blow with Axar holding his nerves to keeping the last two balls on a low trajectory. He remained unbeaten on 23 off 16 in a see sawing cliff hanger that saw both sides recover from poor starts. Sri Lanka limped from 5 for 68 after 10.4 overs as Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva added 38 off 23 after the new look Indian attack spearheaded by Shivan Mavi 4 for 22, Umran Malik 2 for 27 and Harshal Patel 2 for 41 had torn through the Lankan frontline batting. Dasun Shanaka struck a brave rear guard 45 off 27 finding brief support from Hasaranga 21 off 10 who started with two slog swept sixes off Yuzvandra Chahal in the 14th over in bridging the deficit to within Sri Lanka’s reach of 56 off 6 and 47 off 4.

But with Hasaranga’s departure in the 15th over and Shanaka seventh out with the score 129 by the 16th over the final hurdle fell squarely on the shoulders of Karunaratne in that lost cause. That India too recovered from a disastrous 4 for 77 just past the halfway mark and 5 for 94 after 14.1 was to the credit of the Lankan bowlers with Maheesh Theekshana accounting for Shubman Gill lbw for 7 and Karunaratne having Suryakumar Yadav caught by Bhanuka Rajapaksa also for 7., Then leggie Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva got rid of the much talked of opener Kishan for 37 caught by Dhananjaya de Silva for 37 before India recovered by the unfinished 68-run partnership between Deepak Hooda 41 off 23 and Azar Patel 31 off 20.

Hooda took the Player of the Match award.

CHIEF SCORES: INDIA 162/5 (20 Overs) (Deepak Honda n.o. 41, Ishan Kishan 37, Azhar Patel n.o.31, Dhananjaya de Silva 1/6, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 1/27, Maheesh Theekshana 1/29, Chamika Karunaratne 1/22)

SRI LANKA 160.(20 Overs) (Dasun Shanaka 45, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 21, Chamika Karunaratne n.o. 23, Charith Asalanka 12, Shivan Mavi 4/22, Umran Malik 2/27, Harshal Patel 2/41)