Nagpur: A buttered-finger India paid a heavy price for a sloppy fielding display to allow Sri Lanka to clinch the first Twenty20 International with a comfortable 29-run run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series on Wednesday.

The visitors first rattled up an imposing 215 for five riding on captain Kumar Sangakkara's blistering 37-ball 78 before restricting the hosts to 186 for nine in a high-scoring contest.

The Indians dropped as many as five catches, missed a couple of run out chances and were generally pathetic with the ground fielding to allow the islanders to pile up a huge total on a good batting track at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

Apart from Sangakkara's assault, Chamara Kapudegera (47 off 20 balls), Tillakaratne Dilshan (34) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26) were the other notable scorers for the Sri Lankans.

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The home team had a daunting task at hand to chase down the total but only Gautam Gambhir (55) could manage a substantial score.

The two teams will now travel to Mohali for the second Twenty20 international on Saturday.

Required to score at a stiff asking rate of 10.80, the Indians needed an explosive start by their crack opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gambhir.

Sehwag showed signs of breaking loose by picking up Nuwan Kulasekara for special treatment with a barrage of boundaries much to the delight of the capacity crowd at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

Sehwag's belligerence was shortlived as he offered a simple catch to Angelo Mathews in the deep with the team score on 32.

Captain Dhoni promoted himself to the number three slot and was quite content in playing second fiddle to Gambhir who unleashed a flurry of breathtaking shots.

Gambhir notched up his half century in just 19 balls but fell soon after with paceman Mathews uprooting his stumps as the left hander tried to sweep. His knock of 55 came off just 26 balls and contained as many as 11 boundaries.

The dismissal of Dhoni (9) immediately after Gambhir's departure came as a huge blow for the hosts who needed their captain to accelerate the pace of scoring.

Rohit Sharma (3) soon joined his captain in the dug out after being run out and Yuvraj Singh (6) and Yousuf Pathan (0) fell a few balls later to leave India in dire straits at 115 for six by the 11th over.

Earlier, Sangakkara looked in very good touch after scoring a fine century for a lost cause in the second innings of the thirdand final Test at Mumbai and ensured his team carry on the momentum after a good start given by veteran Jayasuriya and Dilshan who put on 43 in six overs.

Sehwag showed signs of breaking loose by picking up Nuwan Kulasekara for special treatment with a barrage of boundaries much to the delight of the capacity crowd at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

Sehwag's belligerence was shortlived as he offered a simple catch to Angelo Mathews in the deep with the team score on 32.

Captain Dhoni promoted himself to the number three slot and was quite content in playing second fiddle to Gambhir who unleashed a flurry of breathtaking shots.

Gambhir notched up his half century in just 19 balls but fell soon after with paceman Mathews uprooting his stumps as the left hander tried to sweep. His knock of 55 came off just 26 balls and contained as many as 11 boundaries.

The dismissal of Dhoni (9) immediately after Gambhir's departure came as a huge blow for the hosts who needed their captain to accelerate the pace of scoring.

Rohit Sharma (3) soon joined his captain in the dug out after being run out and Yuvraj Singh (6) and Yousuf Pathan (0) fell a few balls later to leave India in dire straits at 115 for six by the 11th over.

Earlier, Sangakkara looked in very good touch after scoring a fine century for a lost cause in the second innings of the thirdand final Test at Mumbai and ensured his team carry on the momentum after a good start given by veteran Jayasuriya and Dilshan who put on 43 in six overs.

The left-handed batsman stepped out and lofted Rohit Sharma, who replaced Ojha after just one over from the latter, for a straight six to complete his fifty in only 21 balls with 6 fours and two sixes but saw Dilshan, who could not time the ball well, and Mahela Jayawardene falling at the other end in the space of seven balls.

Dilshan, who faced 33 balls and hit five fours, was bowled by Rohit Sharma while Jayawardene got his stumps disturbed when trying to cut Yusuf Pathan as Lanka slid from 117 for 1 to 126 for three between the 13th and 14th overs.

Sangakkara then found an ideal partner in Chamara Kapugedara, who was not part of the Test squad as the two continued to gather runs at good pace.

The duo could have been separated after they found themselves at the same end due to a misunderstanding over taking a single but bowler Ishant did not have the belief to take a shy at the non-strike?s end and tried to run back and throw which missed the stumps and Kapugedara regained his crease.

Kapugedara celebrated his escape by carting Nehra, back for his second spell, for fours in three successive balls in the 19th over to give a firm push to the Lanka score towards the 200-run mark. He finally got out in the same over.

At the end, Angelo Mathews (15 in four balls) remained unconquered after hoisting Yusuf Pathan for two sixes in the last over while his captain was run out off the last ball after a splendid knock. Lanka added 73 runs in the last five overs.