New Delhi: Pathum NissankaK79 and consists of Captain. Kosal MendesThanks to a fluent 72 runs, Sri Lanka defeated West Indies by 41 runs in the opening ODI on Wednesday.After being asked to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive 303/7, built around a crucial 136-run second-wicket partnership between Nissanka and Mendes. Charith Asalinka scored 45 runs while Janeth Liyanage remained not out with 44 runs.In reply, West Indies captain Shai Hope scored 56 runs off 66 balls and opener Justin Greaves scored 45 runs off 38 balls. However, despite some promising partnerships, the hosts were bowled out for 262 in the last over.The chase continued steadily, with West Indies adding 50 runs for the opening wicket and another 52 runs for the third wicket. But regular wickets disrupted their momentum and the required rate continued to rise. Ruston Chase offered some resistance with 33, but his dismissal – bowled by Dushantha Chimera – effectively ended the contest. Chimera finished as Sri Lanka’s standout bowler with figures of 4/67.After winning the toss on a surface expected to favor the slower bowlers, the West Indies opted to field first and made an early breakthrough when Kamando Mendes was dismissed for 12 in the seventh over.Nissanka and Kosalmendis then dominated the innings, putting on 136 runs to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position. Mendes scored a blistering 72 off 62 balls before falling to 158/2, while Nissanka continued to push the innings forward with 79 off 102 balls before being dismissed.West Indies needed a breakthrough during the middle overs but Asalinka and Liyanage frustrated the bowlers with a valuable 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket, helping Sri Lanka cross the 300-run mark.Hope’s dismissal at 167/5 in the 31st over left the West Indies with a difficult task, and the lower order failed to mount a serious challenge thereafter.The match was briefly interrupted by a delay when a floodlight malfunction forced the players to leave the field due to poor lighting. However, by then the result was virtually decided, with West Indies needing 43 runs from just eight balls with one wicket.The second ODI of the three-match series will be played in Kingston on Saturday, with the final match scheduled for Monday at Sabina Park.
