Live Score

SL won by 5 wickets (DLS METHOD)

10:58 PM IST, Local Time: Kamindu Mendis finishes things in style, and Sri Lanka win by 5 wickets in the rain-hit match to go 1-0 up in the series. Earlier, West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first. Alick Athanaze (10 off 20) and Brandon King (14 off 25) spearheaded the innings for the visitors but failed to provide a promising start as the pair departed cheaply inside the first powerplay. Sri Lankan bowlers kept things tight and removed Windies skipper Shai Hope for a mere 5 runs in the 13th over. Keacy Carty and Sherfane Rutherford started building the partnership in the middle and focused on strike rotation to keep the scoreboard moving. However, their 46-run partnership was halted by Asalanka, who trapped Carty for 37 runs. Roston Chase (33* off 33) joined Rutherford (74* off 82) in the middle, and the pair looked in good touch, putting the batting back on track. Rutherford notched up his second ODI fifty on the occasion. West Indies were 185/4 in 38.3 overs when rain intervened, halting play for about three hours and ending the first innings as well. The target for Sri Lanka was later adjusted to 232 runs in 37 overs via the DLS method. Wanindu Hasaranga grabbed two out of four wickets fell in the innings, while Jeffrey Vandersay and Charith Asalanka contributed one wicket each for the hosts. In pursuit of 232 runs, Sri Lanka didn’t get the start they wanted, losing Avishka Fernando (5 off 7), Kusal Mendis (13 off 8), and Sadeera Samarawickrama (18 off 12) inside the mandatory 8-over powerplay, leaving them in a spot of bother. However, Charith Asalanka (77 off 71) and Nishan Madushka (69 off 54) initiated a rescue mission, playing with authority in the middle. The wet outfield made it difficult for the Windies bowlers to grip the ball, allowing Madushka and Asalanka to settle in and rebuild the innings. The pair both notched up fifties, with Madushka achieving his on his maiden ODI appearance. Gudakesh Motie sent both set batters in quick succession but the damage was done by then. Janith Liyanage (18* off 18) and Kamindu Mendis (30* off 21) ensured victory for the hosts without any further hiccups. Gudakesh Motie bagged three wickets for West Indies, while Alzarri Joseph celebrated a couple of wickets. Stay tuned for the presentation....

Shai Hope (West Indies Captain): "It's out of our control, so we need to focus on what we can and make sure we perform well in the next game. The guys showed some intent towards the end, and Sherfane played really well. It was tough, and I don't usually bowl much, but we have to improve and find ways to take wickets next time."

Player of the Match: Charith Asalanka

Charith Asalsnka (Player of the Match & Sri Lanka Captain): "It was a convincing win and the weather was on our side. My plan was to attack and play positively, and me and Madushka played well. They could not manage to bowl well with the wet ball and that made it easy. We like him playing well on debut and it gives us a headache but we are happy with that."

Brilliant performance from Sri Lanka as they win the series opener, going 1-0 up in the 3-match series. West Indies will look to bounce back in the next game to keep the series alive and force it into a decider. We hope you enjoyed our live coverage. For now, its me Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of co-commentators Ajay Pal Singh, Anirudh Modi, and scorer/analyst Ghanendra Singh Thakur. CHEERS!