On a day that witnessed multiple deja vu moments, first from the 2011 World Cup final and then from the 2023 Asia Cup finals India decimated Sri Lanka by 302 runs to secure a spot in the semi-finals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Batting first the Indian batters scored their highest total in the tournament so far at 357-8 with fifties from Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer. In reply, Rohit Sharma roasted his pacers in the opening overs to raze the Sri Lankan batting order to the ground, bowling them out for just 55 runs in 19.4 overs.
Sri Lanka played it into India’s hands by electing to bowl first after winning the toss on a batting-friendly Wankhede pitch. Despite losing the wicket of Rohit Sharma early, the top and middle-order batters batted fiercely to take India well past 300. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli stitched an 189-run partnership, however, both batters fell short of well-deserved hundreds. India’s pace bowlers made the bowl talk as Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah took 9 wickets between them to make a mockery of the Lankan batting.
Sri Lanka asked India to bat first after winning the toss in a replay of the 2011 World Cup Final. Rohit Sharma started off in fine fashion in front of his home crowd by hitting a four in the very first ball of the match. However, the joy was short-lived as Dilshan Madhushanka bowled a fine off-cutter that straightened after pitching to send Rohit Sharma’s off-stump for a cartwheel on the very next ball, silencing the Mumbai crowd.
The adjoining period saw the Sri Lankan pacers Dilshan Madhushanka and Dushmanta Chameera on top of their mark troubling the Indian batters with swing a bounce, who also got some help from the wicket. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill survived the period, even as they were dropped once by Sri Lankan fielders. Both batters dominated proceedings scoring at a rate over six for the next 20 overs, now that the pitch had become slightly better for batting.
Shubman Gill was well on his way to scoring his first hundred in World Cups as he scored 11 boundaries and 2 maximums effortlessly against indiscipline bowling. Gill fell short of his hundred as he edged a slower delivery of Madhushanka straight into skipper Kusal Mendis’s hands at 92. It also looked like Virat Kohli would go on to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 48 hundred in Tendulkar’s home ground until Madhushanka spoiled the potential party by dismissing Virat Kohli for 88.
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer stitched a 60-run partnership making sure that the run rate did not go below 6 while also taking India closer to 300. Shreyas Iyer answered all questions related to his form by going full-throttle striking as many as 6 sixes in his innings of 82 off 56. Iyer also fell to Madhushanka’s change of pace delivery, short of his hundred. Late antiques from Ravindra Jadeja down the order took India to a commanding total of 357-8 in 50 overs.
Pathum Nissanka, who had scored four consecutive 50s in the tournament was opening with Dimuth Karunarathne, playing only his second match. The first bowl by Jasprit Bumrah came wide of the crease, seemed to be angling down but straightened a bit to hit Nissanka’s pad, the umpire had no hesitation in raising his fingers, but even as that unfolded Sri Lanka had no idea of what was to follow. Mohammed Siraj, who seemed to have struggled to find the right rhythm in the tournament, also struck the first ball as he caught Dimuth Karunaratne all square in front of the stumps.
Siraj almost had two in two before the on-field call was overturned by DRS, however, Siraj made amends for that as he had the in-form Sadeera Samarawickrama caught in the slip cordon. Siraj came back for his second over and cleaned up Sri Lanka’s skipper Kusal Mendis in the first ball of the over. The Sri Lankan top-order which stitched two scores of 300+ in the tournament was already back in the hut inside four overs.
A short recovery of 11-runs followed between veteran Angelo Mathews and Charith Asalanka, with the latter taking 22 balls to get off-the mark. Mohammed Shami was introduced into the attack in the last over of the powerplay, and straightaway dismissed Asalanka who picked Ravindra Jadeja at point to leave Sri Lanka at 14-5. Dushan Hemantha came and went, as Mohammed Shami deceived him with a ball in the 5th stump line, giving a catch to KL Rahul behind the stumps. At 14-6, Sri Lanka looked like they would be dismissed for the lowest ever score in ODIs.
The experienced Angelo Mathews tried to fix this with the lower order, but Mohammed Shami cleaned him up with a ball that nipped in. Kasun Rajitha and Maheesh Theekshana struck a few boundaries once the ball stopped moving around, but it was only a matter of time. The tail could only scamper so much runs, as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 55 runs in 19.4 overs, 5 more than what they scored against India in Colombo a few months ago.
The win extended India’s unbeaten run in the World Cup to 7 matches, and secured a place in the semis. As for Sri Lanka, they go back to mathematics to figure out a way to qualify.
Very happy knowing that we have officially qualified now. Been a good effort from the squad, when we started off in Chennai. This was our goal, to qualify first and then obviously to be in the semis and the finals – Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was speaking at the post-match presentation and praised each member of his team for showing form at some point. Rohit spoke high of his batters for putting 350 on the board, and had no words to describe the performance of his seamers for their performance with the new ball.
“The way we approached these 7 games, it was quite clinical. Everyone put in the effort and a lot of individuals have put their hand up. Was a good challenge to put runs on the board, and that’s the kind of template you gotta have when you want to score that many runs” said Rohit Sharma.
“They (South Africa) are playing some good cricket, and so are we. It’s gonna be a great spectacle for the people out there and people of Kolkata are gonna enjoy that game” he added.
India travel to Kolkata to play South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday in a top of the table clash.\