In his first appearance as India’s regular T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav (58 off 26 balls) produced a trademark innings that was crucial to his team’s 43-run win over Sri Lanka in the opening game of the three-match series in Pallekele on Saturday.

In what was also Gautam Gambhir’s debut game as India’s head coach, the Indians, after posting 213/7 which was also their highest-ever total in T20Is on Sri Lankan shores, bowled the islanders out for 170 in 19.2 overs.

The Sri Lankans were solid in reply, reaching 140/1 after 14 overs which had put the pressure right back on India. But then, the mediocrity of this Sri Lankan side was brutally exposed. Axar Patel dismissed opener Pathum Nissanka (79 off 48 balls) and Kusal Perera (20 off 14 balls) in the 15th over to peg Sri Lanka back a little bit and the hosts lost their remaining seven wickets for just 21 runs.

It became all too easy for India following that two-wicket over from Axar as even part-timer Riyan Parag finished with figures of 3/5.

For India, equally important was the flying start that openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (40 off 21 balls) and vice-captain Shubman Gill (34 off 16 balls) provided them after being put into bat. Also aided by Sri Lanka’s pedestrian bowling, Jaiswal and Gill found the boundaries at will, helping India race to 74 without loss inside the Powerplay.

The Sri Lankans tried to claw their way back when Gill fell off left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka and Jaiswal was deceived by spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. Two wickets off as many balls threatened to push India back, but the stage was set for Surya to play the way he knows best.

The pick-up shots over the square-leg and fine-leg regions which typify Surya, flowed from his bat, while he used the sweep too to perfect execution to dominate the Sri Lankan spinners.

The third-wicket partnership between Surya and Pant (49 off 33 balls) fetched India 76 before the former was trapped lbw by Matheesha Pathirana (4/40), the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers. But what adds to the significance of skipper Surya’s innings is that he also covered up for Pant’s strike-rate, which could have hurt India.

Keeper-batter Pant was struggling to play his shots, but that seemed to be having no effect whatsoever on Surya. His focus was purely on his batting. Captaincy couldn’t really pressurise Surya.

In the crunch moments, his bowlers too backed him.