SL A vs Ind A – Ruturaj Gaikwad 101 trumps Arachchige 74 as India A win thriller

India A began their tour of Sri Lanka with a nervy eight-run win against the hosts in Dambulla. A series that has been given the added edge by the presence of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened under hot weather on a two-paced surface. The stroke-making on the pitch was anything but easy. Here’s a look back at the match which India A eventually snatched from the jaws of defeat.

Sooryavanshi’s India A debut

There had been a frenzy around him ever since he arrived in Sri Lanka three days ago. Fans, officials and media alike clamoured for a glimpse of him. Their first sighting of the 15-year-old in action was brief. Yet, it offered a tantalising glimpse of what they could expect.

After Prabhsimran Singh played out a first-over maiden, Sooryavanshi got off the mark with a boundary off his very first ball – a slap over the infield. Three fours followed in a 12-ball knock that yielded 14 runs. His innings ended in the fourth over when an attempted loft off seamer Mohamed Shiraz flew flat to mid-off, where captain Sahan Arachchige pulled off a superb diving catch.

Sooryavanshi has three more group games, followed by a final if India A qualify, to make amends before he flies to Ireland. There, he will link up with the senior Indian team for the T20I series.

Gaikwad’s middle-order flexibility

Ruturaj Gaikwad wasn’t even in the original squad, but a hamstring injury to Riyan Parag earned him a late call-up to Sri Lanka, and unexpectedly, the vice-captaincy. On Tuesday, he made the most of that opportunity, showing he could thrive in the No. 4 role in one-day cricket with a measured 114-ball 101 that anchored India A’s 277.

It was another reminder of Gaikwad’s pedigree in the format. His only ODI century for India came in his most recent appearance, against South Africa in December 2025, when he shared a 195-run stand with Virat Kohli in Raipur. However, this innings was different.

On a slow surface where Sri Lanka A’s spinners controlled much of the middle overs, Gaikwad prioritised strike rotation over boundary-hitting. He struck just six fours and three sixes, yet dominated a 150-run fourth-wicket partnership with captain Tilak Varma.

Gaikwad was reprieved on 49, when Niroshan Dickwella missed a straightforward stumping opportunity off legspinner Vijaykanth Viyaskanth. Gaikwad kicked his innings into high gear thereafter by hitting the next ball, a full toss, for six over deep midwicket to bring up his half-century.

The hundred brought a unique record: it was his 21st List A century, achieved in just his 96th match, making him the fastest player to reach the mark. Pakistan’s Khurram Manzoor, the previous quickest, needed 130 matches.

Shedge, Roy make all-round impact

India’s search for a seam-bowling allrounder beyond Hardik Pandya has largely centred on Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube. But there is growing promise in Suryansh Shedge. The Mumbai allrounder provided the finishing touches to India A’s innings with an unbeaten 26 off 14 balls.

Then, with the ball, Shedge extracted appreciable seam movement and bounce in a lively opening spell, troubling Sri Lanka A’s batters despite finishing wicketless with 8-0-41-0. If he can bowl as consistently as he did here, he will continue to strengthen his case after a solid IPL 2026.

Anukul Roy, meanwhile, showed why he remains a highly-rated spin option. The left-arm spinner returned 2 for 49 from his ten overs, but the figures only partly reflected his impact. He broke an 86-run stand by enticing Sadeera Samarawickrama into a mistimed loft to long-on, before dismissing Ravindu Fernando caught and bowled off a leading edge in his next over. Those strikes led Sri Lanka A from cruise control to full-blown turbulence. They were eventually bowled out for 269 in the 49th over.

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