IND vs SL 2023: Assam government announces half-day holiday for 1st ODI

Ahead of the first ODI game between India and Sri Lanka, the Assam government declared a half-day holiday in the Kamrup Metropolitan district on Tuesday, January 10. After a successful T20I series, the Men in Blue are set to host the Islanders for a three-match ODI series, the first of which will be played at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

This will be the first time since July 2021 that India and Sri Lanka face each other off in an ODI game. But the upcoming game will be exciting as senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Mohammed Shami among others return to the squad after a break from the T20Is. As the game begins at 1:30 PM, an announcement made on Sunday stated that all state government offices and academic entities in the district will shut at 1 pm.

“The governor of Assam is pleased to declare half day local holiday on 10th January, 2023 within the Kamrup (Metro) district on the occasion of the ODI match between India and Sri Lanka to be held on 10/01/2023 at Barsapara ACA Cricket Stadium, Guwahati,” the official statement read.

India aim to carry winning momentum in ODIs

The Men in Blue kicked off their new year in style by winning the T20I series against the Islanders. But the visitors put up a great fight in the first two games. They came very close to winning the first T20I before Axar Patel defended 12 runs in the final over to hand India a two-run victory. But the Lankans bounced back stronger to win the second T20I and leveled the series.

After two competitive games, India completely dominated the third game, and won it by a margin of 91 runs, courtesy of Suryakumar Yadav’s magnificent century. The 32-year-old batter notched up an unbeaten 51-ball 112* to take India to a humungous total of 228/5. Sri Lanka could not even come close to the target and were dished out cheaply for 137 runs.

In the upcoming ODI series, the hosts will be aiming to continue their winning momentum. The visitors, on the other hand, would also have a similar goal, so as to return back home on a positive note. After the first ODI in Guwahati, the two teams will fly to Kolkata for the second game at Eden Gardens, and then to Thiruvananthapuram for the third and final match.

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