IND vs SL Review: Ruthless India crush Sri Lanka to secure semi-final spot

The 33rd match of the ongoing ODI World Cup was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai where India and Sri Lanka faced off each other in a one-way traffic of a match.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first as India had a poor start to the game with Rohit Sharma dismissed on the second ball of the match by a brilliant delivery from left-arm bowler Dilashan Madhushanka. Virat Kohli then came in to join Shubman Gill in the middle, and they formed a fantastic partnership for the second wicket.

The two batters steadily accumulated runs, with Kohli surpassing 400 runs in the tournament. Around the halfway mark, they decided to increase the scoring rate, putting Sri Lanka under pressure with regular boundaries.

Gill, in particular, hit sixes off successive overs and looked set to reach his century, but Madhushanka returned to the attack and ended those plans. Gill edged one behind in his attempt to play a ramp shot, falling for 92. In Madhushanka’s next over, he forced Kohli into an early shot, resulting in a catch at short cover at 88.

Shreyas Iyer then came in and played a quickfire innings of 82 off just 56 balls, including three fours and six sixes. Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with a cameo towards the end, helping India reach a massive total of 357.

In their chase, Sri Lanka struggled on a pitch that seemed to favour fast bowlers under the light. Jasprit Bumrah struck on the very first ball of the innings, dismissing Pathum Nissanka.

Mohammad Siraj followed up with a double wicket maiden over in the next over, further damaging Sri Lanka’s chase. Siraj took another wicket in his next over, and Mohammad Shami continued the demolition in the tenth over, also bowling a double wicket maiden. Sri Lanka found themselves at three for four wickets down, with only 14 runs on the board.

Sri Lanka kept losing wickets and were eventually bowled out for just 55 runs, resulting in a massive defeat of 302 runs. Shami ended the game with a five-wicket haul, while Siraj took three wickets and Bumrah and Jadeja took one each.

Top Performers of the Match

Shubman Gill (92 of 92)

Gill showcased his batting prowess after losing his opening partner early in the match. He scored a brilliant 92 runs, providing a solid platform for the other batters to build upon. He hit 11 fours and two sixes in his innings.

Mohammed Shami (5/18, 5 overs)

Shami bowled exceptionally well, consistently bowling at around 140 km/h and swinging the ball. He took another five-wicket haul, becoming the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 18 wickets in just four games.

What next?

Going ahead, Sri Lanka will play against Bangladesh on November 6. While South Africa will take on India on November 5.