COLOMBO: Prithvi Shaw registered a golden duck on his debut in the first T20I on Sunday but skipper Shikhar Dhawan feels the opening batsman will bounce back in the next game against Sri Lanka.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked four while Deepak Chahar scalped two wickets as India defeated Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the first T20I.
"Prithvi is playing really well and I am sure he will bounce back in the next game. It's very hard to pick Varun, even I find it difficult when I am facing him in the nets," said Dhawan after the win.
Indian bowlers got the job done without any trouble as the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. India bundled out Sri Lanka for 126 in the 19th over.
"Sri Lanka were playing well but we knew our spinners will get some turn. Yuzi and KP bowled really well. And even Varun, playing his first match," said Dhawan.
Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga had picked two wickets to help Sri Lanka restrict India to 164/5 despite Suryakumar Yadav's fifty.
The Indian skipper felt the visitors were 10-15 runs short of the par score. " I thought we were 10-15 runs short but we felt it was still a good total. We played quite well after losing a wicket on the first ball. Getting to 50 in the powerplay was good," said Dhawan.
"I think only 5% scope of improvement. Surya is a great player and we enjoy watching him bat. He was taking pressure off me as well," he added.
India and Sri Lanka will next lock horns in the second T20I on Tuesday.