2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka

Team India got the new calendar year off to a positive start as they beat Sri Lanka by two runs in a thrilling series opener at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3.

India posted 162/5 in the first innings in what was an excellent wicket to bat on, with none of the batters breaching the 50-run mark. Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel put together a terrific partnership to take the side to a defendable total before most of the bowlers chipped in to restrict Sri Lanka to 160 all-out.

Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke by India in the first T20I against Sri Lanka.

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#3 Mistake - India fed Yuzvendra Chahal to Wanindu Hasaranga

Yuzvendra Chahal was the only Indian bowler to contribute nothing to the second innings. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel were the other two to go wicketless, but the former bowled three economical overs and the latter held his nerve in the final over.

Chahal, on the other hand, went for 26 in the two overs he bowled. He was pumped over the ropes by Charith Asalanka in his first over, the seventh of the Sri Lankan innings, before being taken out of the attack. The leg-spinner was brought back in the 14th, with Wanindu Hasaranga at the crease.

Hasaranga, fresh off an unbeaten 77 in Qualifier 2 of the Lanka Premier League, was always going to take on the spinner. He slog-swept two big sixes to put Sri Lanka ahead of the eight-ball, smacking Chahal out of the attack.

India should've attacked Hasaranga with pace from both ends, especially with Chahal being in the terrible run of form he's in right now. The over could've proved costly for the Men in Blue.

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#2 Masterstroke - Hardik Pandya bowling up front

Hardik Pandya, captaining Team India, decided to take on the powerplay bowling responsibility, as he did so often for the Gujarat Titans in the 2022 Indian Premier League. He sent down three overs in the field restrictions, conceding only 12 runs.

Hardik generated swing in both directions to keep the Sri Lankan batters on their toes. He conceded only two boundaries and beat the bat on occasion. The skipper could've even had a wicket had Sanju Samson held on to a catch off the second ball of the innings.

Hardik bowling up front also allowed India to get the best out of their other pacers. While Umran Malik bowled primarily in the middle overs, Shivam Mavi made the most of the pressure his captain had created. Harshal Patel, meanwhile, did what he usually does in the middle overs.

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#1 Mistake - Playing Deepak Hooda at No. 6

It might seem ludicrous to claim that playing Deepak Hooda at No. 6 was a mistake. He walked away with the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 23-ball 41, a knock that was the clear difference between the two sides. But the strategy is simply not sustainable in the long run.

Hooda, as a spin-hitter, is at his best when used in the middle overs. He is most suited to playing in the top four, similar to the way the Lucknow Super Giants used him in IPL 2022. The batter has often been found wanting against pacy hard lengths, a style of bowling he's bound to encounter often if he bats at No. 6 and also one Sri Lanka didn't really have in their playing XI.

Hooda batting up the order would also allow Hardik to play as a finisher. He too has had his struggles against hard lengths recently, but at least he won't get stuck against spin. Samson performed well in the role last year and could be the man for the job.

It paid off in the first T20I, but it might not in the future.