Prithvi Shaw gave team India a flying start in the first ODI played on Sunday, 18 July. He scored a brisk 43 of 24 balls in the powerplay and received Player of the Match in the process. His innings came to an end when he was caught at Long-on.
The young batsman was struck on the head by a Dushmanta Chameera bouncer which was brutal and broke the neck guard of the helmet. Shaw was seen to be in pain and the physio had to rush in to monitor him.
The Mumbai batsman admitted that he lost his focus after being hit on the helmet and was he was disappointed by the way he got out after being hit.
"I was disappointed with the shot when I got out. I lost a bit of focus after I was hit on the head," Shaw said during the post-match presentation after collecting his Player of the Match award.
He added that he was in a little pain but it was fine. “It’s fine now, a bit of pain but it’s okay," he said.
When asked if coach Rahul Dravid told him anything specific, he replied negatively and said that he played his shorts by instinct.
“Rahul sir didn’t say anything when I went in. I went with my instinct and was looking for boundaries. As a batsman, I try to keep the scoreboard ticking. The pitch was good in the first innings and it got better in the second innings. And I like facing fast bowlers," he said.
Sri Lanka posted 262/9 batting first. India, however, chased the target down inside 37 overs with seven wickets to spare.
(news18.com inputs)
