Suryakumar-Gambhir start where Rohit-Dravid left off, India keep coming hard at the opposition
Hindustan TimesOne of the notable developments in the second half of the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid management era was a distinct emphasis on aggressive cricket, not necessarily with the bat alone but from an all-round perspective. India's Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya during the first T20 International against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium One match is hardly an indicator of what to expect from the new leadership group, but already, the signs are that India will continue to keep pressing, to keep moving forward, to keep coming hard at the opposition, at least in the Twenty20 format for the time being. Together, they rained boundaries on Sri Lanka’s hapless bowlers on an excellent batting deck at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Having lorded much of their chase of 213 for seven, Sri Lanka needed 56 off the last four overs when the skipper tossed the ball to part-time offie Riyan Parag, whose international bowling was restricted to a mere six deliveries in Zimbabwe earlier this month. At 140 for one after 14, 74 needed in six overs, it was Sri Lanka’s game to win.