SL and WI: Sri Lanka eased past West Indies in the first ODI on the back of impressive half-centuries from Nishan Madushka and Charith Asalanka, Leading 1-0 in the series. After West Indies’ rain-affected innings, Sri Lanka easily achieved their target of 234 runs thanks to a strong performance from the middle order.
Madushka, who replaced the injured Pathum Nissanka, made the most of his opportunity, scoring 69 runs off 54 balls, including seven fours and one six. Sri Lanka’s top scorer Asaranka, who scored 77 off 71 balls, praised Madushka’s performance, saying: “I’m glad he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. It’s good for the team to have healthy competition. Good thing.
West Indies posted 183/4 in 38.3 overs but a quick partnership began before rain disrupted play. West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted that the playing conditions were very challenging, especially for his spinners, as the ball was wet. Gudakesh Motie managed to break the crucial partnership between Asalanka and Madushka, who was left by Brandon Brandon King caught it. Moty also dismissed Ashalanka leg in front of the wicket and ended up with impressive figures of 3/43. Nonetheless, the damage had been done and Sri Lanka needed just another 50 runs off 74 balls.
Kamindu Mendis (21) and Janith Liyanage (18) calmly took Sri Lanka home with a six-wicket win. Earlier, West Indies struggled against Sri Lanka’s spin, with only Sherfan Rutherford (74 off 66 balls) and Roston Chase (36) providing some resistance. Their 85-run partnership for the fifth wicket helped West Indies post a respectable total after early struggles.
Sri Lanka spin, led by Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, kept the West Indies batsmen in check throughout the innings ensuring the hosts maintained control .
The win follows Sri Lanka’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over West Indies in the T20 series. With two ODIs remaining on Wednesday and Saturday, Sri Lanka will aim to wrap up the series while West Indies will hope to bounce back.