Sri Lanka slumped after opening batsman Dhanushka Gunathilaka was given out for obstructing the field and lost by eight wickets to the West Indies in the first One-Day International (ODI) on Wednesday.

Gunathilaka made 55 and put on 105 in an opening stand with Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, which should have put Sri Lanka on course to a commanding total.

However, the match became ill-tempered when, in the 21st over, Gunathilaka was judged to have obstructed the field when he trod on the ball while Pollard was attempting to affect a run out.

Pollard bowled a short ball which Gunathilaka fended away.

Pathum Nissanka set off for a single but Gunathilaka, after advancing down the pitch, sent him back and stepped back into his own crease. As he did so, he stepped on the ball and knocked it backwards.

Pollard immediately appealed and on-field umpire Joe Wilson gave a soft signal of out before television umpire Nigel Guguid ruled that Gunathilaka had deliberately attempted to foil the run out. There seemed to be little evidence the batsman had acted deliberately. Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody was among those who thought the obstruction by the batsman was anything but willful.

Even former West Indies cricketer Darren Sammy said he would not have appealed for the wicket. (Agencies)