Twitter Reactions: Courtesy of Angelo Mathews' brilliance, Sri Lanka edge past Zimbabwe in tense encounter

Batting first, Zimbabwe posted 143 runs on the board. The Lankan bowlers kept them under pressure right from the beginning as they were 38/2 at one point. That’s when skipper Sikandar Raza stepped up and changed the complexion of the game. The veteran all-rounder made 62 runs off 42 deliveries, which helped the visitors post a respectable total on the board. However, Raza barely got any support from his teammates, which remains to be a concern.

On the other hand, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga picked up two wickets each with the ball. They kept Zimbabwe under pressure for the majority part of the time and must have been happy with the bowling performance in the first T20I of the series. 144 was expected to be a good total to chase but it proved to be difficult in the end.

Sri Lanka’s top order struggled massively against Zimbabwe. They never looked comfortable as the visitors kept them under pressure from the very first over. Richard Ngarava dismissed Pathum Nissanka in the third ball of the second innings, while Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera didn’t look to be in rhythm. They were 51/4 at one point as nothing was going right for them. However, veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews took control of the situation to bring them out of trouble.

The 36-year-old hit 46 runs off 48 deliveries, which brought the Lankan Lions back to the contest. However, his dismissal in the final over of the game made things complex for Sri Lanka. The hosts required six runs to win in the final two deliveries of the match but Dushmantha Chameera remained calm and hit a boundary in the penultimate delivery of the match, followed by a double in the last ball to secure a three-wicket win for Sri Lanka. 

Zimbabwe’s valiant effort went in vain but the Sikandar Raza-led side should be proud of the effort. The bowlers did a commendable job as the game was all about ifs and buts.

Here's how Twitter reacted to Sri Lanka versus Zimbabwe's first T20I game: