When Shivam Dube struck a boundary in the fourth ball of the 48th over against Sri Lanka in the chase of 231, the Indian camp was all smiles. India needed just one more run to win from the 14 balls. The members were up from their seats, ready to walk down the stairs from the dressing room and celebrate a winning start to the series and Gautam Gambhir's first ODI as the head coach of the Indian men's team. However, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka pulled a rabbit out of the hat as he trapped Dube, and then Arshdeep Singh lbw off successive deliveries to force a dramatic draw in the opening game of the three-match ODI series in Colombo.

India got the chase off to a flier, with captain Rohit Sharma smashing a 33-ball fifty. The visitors scored 71 runs in the first powerplay without losing a wicket. Dunith Wellalage, starred with the bat for Sri Lanka with a maiden half-century, then applied the brakes, by removing both the openers, while Washington Sundar, promoted to four, perished after playing just four balls. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer then steadied the ship, before Sri Lanka roared back again with back-to-back wickets.

At 132 for five, the match stood evenly poised. KL Rahul and Axar Patel looked to grab the momentum back for India, but Wanindu Hasaranga and Asalanka accounted for both their dismissals, leaving the hosts favourite to pull off a victory at the R Premadasa Stadium.

The momentum, however, was seized by Dube, when he smashed two sixes and a four to put India just a run away from victory, but in a moment of brain fade, it all crumbled. With one run left, Asalanka dismissed the left-hander. India still had a wicket in hand with Arshdeep, who smiled confidently after arriving at the crease, all set to score the winning run against Asalanka. However, the batter misjudged the length and went for a big slog sweep as the delivery hit his back leg, in line with the leg stump, and he was adjudged lbw.

Following the draw, fans on social media showed Arshdeep no mercy, comparing the act to that of West Indies player Shannon Gabriel's infamous dismissal against Pakistan during a Test match in 2017. West Indies needed to see off 7 deliveries to pull off a hard-fought draw. Gabriel had to see off just one ball to put a well-set Roston Chase, batting on 101, in strike. But he instead attempted a big shot against a flighted delivery from Yasir Shah, and the ball crashed into the stumps after taking an inside edge.

The tied match between India and Sri Lanka was the 44th instance in men's ODIs and 10th involving India.

India will be back in action at the same venue for the second ODI against Sri Lanka.

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