Meanwhile, reflecting on earlier events, Sri Lanka once again won the toss and chose to bat first. Mohammed Siraj claimed the day's opening wicket on the very first ball of the match, dismissing Pathum Nissanka for a golden duck. A partnership of 74 runs between Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis provided the hosts with some stability, but both the batters were dismissed in rapid succession by Washington Sundar. Referring to the talented all-rounder from Guwahati, Parag's breakthrough in Indian cricket occurred when he was handed his debut against Zimbabwe in the T20I series in July. However, he truly came into prominence during the T20I segment of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, not so much for his batting, but rather for his astute bowling. His skillful performances, especially on the turning tracks of Kandy, showed his potential a genuine spinner. The results were there for everyone to see, as he gave only 62 runs bowling 9.2 overs, claiming three wickets.