However, the officials, umpires and referees were unanimously not privy to rules and committed a huge blunder. Due to their mistake, the game could not fetch a winner and the match went down as a tie.
Tie Should Have Followed With a Super Over
The social media was rife about the goof-up that occurred during the match, and in the aftermath of the match and the series, all the officials accepted their mistake.
"If the teams' scores are equal after both innings have been completed, then a Super Over shall be played" - ICC playing conditions.
While super over gives a fair chance to both teams in the contest, Team India could still complain that they have been hard done by the decision.
The first ODI often sets the tone of the momentum and had India won the match, then they might survived the travesty that took place for the first time in 27 years.
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IND vs SL 1ST ODI: Match Summary
Skipper Rohit Sharma played on a different 'track' from his other colleagues, who were thoroughly exposed against quality spin bowling as Sri Lanka managed to eke out a tie against India in a low-scoring but thrilling opening ODI here on Friday.
In a chase of 231, skipper Rohit smashed 58 off 47 balls on a rank turner with variable bounce, taking his team to 71 in 10 overs but all the other batters never looked comfortable against an army of Lankan spinners as skipper Charith Asalanka got wickets off back-to-back deliveries to play his part in the 44th tie in the history of ODI cricket.
When Shivam Dube (25) hit those two sixes and a boundary through the extra cover to tie the scores, it seemed like Sri Lanka's woes would continue, but Asalanka took it upon himself to at least earn a psychological win for the home team.
Rohit didn't look one bit rusty during his destructive half-century but the Indian middle-order stuttered badly, showing their ineptitude against slow bowlers.
After the Indian bowling unit collectively put up a good show on a turner, restricting Sri Lanka to 230 for 8, Rohit's 58 gave India a destructive start.
Things went into a downward spiral after that as Sri Lanka's battery of spinners, led by Wanindu Hasaranga (3/58 in 10 overs), Akila Dananjaya (1/140 in 10 overs), Dunith Wellalage (2/39 in 8 overs) and skipper Charith Asalanka (3/30 in 8.5 overs), not only choked the run flow but also got breakthroughs when necessary.