Left-handed batsman Ishan Kishan, on Sunday, made his One-Day International (ODI) debut in a match against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. What makes his debut memorable is that he hit a classy fifty as he motored India forward in a 263-run chase.

He also became the second Indian player to make his ODI debut on his birthday. The first was Gursharan Singh, whose sole ODI came against Australia in 1990 in Hamilton. It was his 27th birthday.

Kishan, who was at his very best, blasted the Sri Lankan bowlers from the very first ball. He hit the first ball he faced in international cricket for a maximum and then followed it with a boundary. Once the runs started flowing off his bat, it was no stopping him.

Sometimes slicing, sometimes dicing, sometimes shimming down the wicket and sometimes gloriously driving a ball, Kishan was toying with the Sri Lankan bowlers as Indian captain Shikhar Dhawan, on the other side, happily played second fiddle.

En route his ODI fifty, the Mumbai-based batsman hit 8 boundaries and two sixes and boasted a strike rate that was touching nearing 150.

However, his stay in the middle was cut short by Lakshan Sandakan who dismissed the Indian for 59. Kishan hung his head low as he walked back to the pavilion.

On the list of fewer balls to a half-century on ODI debut, Kishan stands second as he took 33 balls. Krunal Pandya tops the list as he had reached his 50 in 26 balls.

Kishan also joined Robin Uthappa as the player to score 50+ in maiden innings in both ODI and T20s.

As far as the match is concerned, winning the toss, the Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka opted to bat. For the hosts, one player made a debut and for India, two players made their ODI debut.

This 3-match ODI series could be said as an evenly-matched contest as both the nations have fielded a fairly inexperienced side.

The Sri Lankan team was powered to 262/9 in 50 overs, courtesy of Chamika Karunaratane’s (43 no off 35 balls) late power-hitting. The Sri Lankan batting order could not consolidate on their start as Indian bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav (2/48 in 9 overs) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2/52 in 10 overs) shared four wickets between them.