Kieron Pollard apologized to me after the match: Danushka Gunathilaka

Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka's form of dismissal during the 1st ODI against the West Indies was controversial to say the least. The 29-year-old was declared out for obstructing the field following Kieron Pollard's appeal.

Even though the replays suggested that the batsman wasn't at fault, the third umpire thought that he was. The incident has led to discussions on social media between fans and cricket pundits alike.

However, upholding the spirit of the game, Kieron Pollard apologized to Danushka Gunathilaka after realizing his mistake.

"He apologized. He told me he didn’t see that properly at that time, and only after he saw the video he realized I didn’t do anything,” Danushka Gunathilaka told Sri Lankan news outlet NewsWire.

Danushka Gunathilaka, in the 20th over of the game, tried to defend a ball bowled by Kieron Pollard. He and his partner Pathum Nissanka tried to rush for a quick single but had a change of plans after they saw the bowler charging towards the ball.

Gunathilaka, while attempting to get back to the crease, accidentally kicked the ball away from Pollard. But the West Indies limited-overs captain thought at the time that it had been done intentionally.

However, after the match, Pollard inferred from replays that Danushka Gunathilaka had no intention of obstructing the field. He admitted his mistake and the Caribbean cricketer was also seen putting his arm around Danushka while talking to him at the close of play.

@KieronPollard55 and @danushka_70 had a chat at close of play. 🙏🏾#SpiritOfCricket #WIvSL 🏏🌴 pic.twitter.com/FowckA7ajx

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) March 10, 2021

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West Indies take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series

After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a great start, with their openers adding 105 runs together. However, after the fall of Danushka Gunathilaka's (55 runs off 61 balls) wicket, they quickly fell apart.

From 112/1 after 21 overs, they ended up being bowled out for 232 runs. Dimuth Karunaratne and Ashen Bandara were the other batsmen who impressed with half-centuries, while Jason Holder and Jason Mohammed picked up two wickets each.

In reply, West Indies put up a clinical showing in the chase after Shai Hope registered his 10th ODI century. Evin Lewis contributed with a 65 as the hosts completed the chase with three overs and 8 wickets to spare to take a 1-0 lead.

A run machine in ODIs! 💯Today's century was the 6th century for @shaidhope since 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/OBikVbWPvQ

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) March 10, 2021