India dismantled Sri Lanka by 302 runs to cement their position at the top in CWC23 semi-finalists
Iyer’s attack was crucial to India’s 93-run score in their final ten overs and India posted 357 runs on the board at the end of their innings while Angelo Mathews and the lower order could only help Sri Lanka to reach fifty-five, five runs beyond their total from the Asia Cup final at the Premadasa in September of this year.
Sri Lanka had won the toss and decided to bowl first. Madushanka had silenced the Wankhede with his second ball, a cutter reminiscent of Mustafizur Rahman that sent Rohit Sharma’s off-stump carwheeling.
Madushanka’s finger rolls over the ball proved to be the cause of four of his five wickets. But the rest of Sri Lanka’s attack kept leaking runs, as it has done throughout this tournament.
With 49 ODI hundreds, Virat Kohli made a threat to surpass Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the chart at a venue where a statue of Tendulkar was installed the night before this match. Wankhede fans eagerly waited, but Madushanka had other plans and dismissed Kohli 12 runs short of the record. On 10, Sri Lanka might have ended Kohli’s innings if Dushmantha Chameera had managed to hold onto a return catch in the sixth over.
In the power play, Shubman Gill received a reprieve as well when Charith Asalanka dropped him on 8 at cover-point. Then, on a sweltering afternoon, Gill and Kohli collaborated to punish Sri Lanka with a partnership of 189 runs.
As Gill frequently left his crease to create scoring opportunities, Kohli began to dominate with his signature cover drives. Gill destroyed Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers with his rasping short-arm pulls after they shortened their lengths.
Even Dushan Hemantha, a leg-spin-bowling all-rounder who virtually fills in for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga like for like, was unable to stop the run-scoring.
India’s supporters were undoubtedly dreaming of double hundreds from both batters when Kohli and Gill matched each other shot for shot and got near to three figures.
Madushanka, however, came back to the attack and prevented the batters from reaching triple figures. And that’s when the left-arm seamer proved he was more than just a one-trick pony. Using an on-pace bouncer, he removed Suryakumar Yadav.
Then Shreyas Iyer gave it his all, but he too came agonizingly short of a century. Anything that even slightly filled his attention quickly vanished from his sight. Iyer hit the longest six of the tournaments thus far, a 106-meter shot after Kasun Rajitha pitched one in the spot outside off.
After reaching his half-century off of 36 balls, Iyer set up Madushanka and Chameera, two of Sri Lanka’s top spinners for the day. Before holing out, Iyer took Madushanka for 18 off nine balls.
Iyer’s attack was crucial to India’s 93-run score in their final ten overs. In those tedious overs, Ravindra Jadeja performed his share at bat as well, but on a night when India’s quicks had the better of the match, he was hardly needed with the ball.
An early warning of the destruction to come was given by Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball. He misplayed the ball, angled it in, and then swung away late to smack the back pad.
Dimuth Karunaratne was lbw after Siraj struck with his first ball as well. In form, Sadeera Samarawickrama was caught at third slip by Siraj after four balls and with a stronger cordon.
However, what made a big impression was the dismissal of Captain Kusal Mendis. The bail-trimming length is the length that bowlers are often told to hit by their coaches; it is neither too short to drive nor too short to pull or cut.
Breaking the bails, Siraj did more than just strike the length that would have chopped off Mendis’s outer edge. Sri Lanka’s batting order was shattered as well, going 3 for 4 with only one of those runs coming off the bat.
Despite their best efforts, Angelo Mathews and the lower order could only help Sri Lanka to reach fifty-five, five runs beyond their total from the Asia Cup final at the Premadasa in September of this year.
Rohit Sharma: “
I’m very happy knowing we have qualified for the semifinals, this was the first goal. But how we approached the seven games have been quite clinical, and a lot of individuals have put in the effort, put their hands up, and stood up. It was a good challenge for us to bat and put runs on the board. That’s the kind of template you want to have when you want to score that many runs. Credit to the batters for getting to that total and then the seamers obviously. Shreyas is a very strong lad, strong in his mind, and today he did what he is known for – take on the opposition and the bowlers. He’s been working very hard on his game and today we saw what he’s capable of. As for Siraj, he’s a quality bowler and if he does that it’s quite a big difference for us. So very happy with how the squad has performed, even Surya in the last game. To put in a performance like this back to back, against England and now, shows the quality of the seamers. Obviously, when there’s something for them in the conditions, they are quite lethal. [KL Rahul DRS reviews?] I have left it to the bowler and the keeper to make those calls, but yeah I have to find individuals I can trust to make those calls, some may go here and there, today was 50-50 but that happens sometimes. [South Africa] They’re playing some good cricket, so are we, so it’s going to be a good game.”
Kusal Mendis:
“I am very disappointed. They bowled well with seam and swing, and unfortunately, we couldn’t play to our potential. [Feel bowling first was a mistake?] Uhhh, I can’t say that. The wicket looked a little slow that’s why I wanted to bowl first. I think Madushanka bowled well, but Shubhman’s chance and Virat’s chance weren’t taken and then the game changed a bit. But everyone bowled well in the middle overs. They then bowled well in the first six overs, I think we need to give credit to their fast bowling unit. [can you turn it around] We have two matches with Bangladesh and New Zealand, so we will come back stronger.”
Mohammed Shami is the Player of the Match:
“I want to first thank Allah – all the hard work we are putting in, the rhythm we have found, it’s because of that that you are getting to see this storm (on the cricket field), the incredible things our bowling unit is doing. The rhythm we are bowling with, I can’t believe anyone will not enjoy it. So, yes, we are enjoying ourselves a lot and working together as a unit, and you can see the results of that. [On becoming India’s highest WC wicket-taker] Yeah, I am trying (to do my best), as always, trying to pitch the ball in the right areas and trying to find the right rhythm, because in big tournaments, if you lose the rhythm it’s very difficult to get it back. So right from the start, the attempt has been to focus on the right areas and right lengths, and it’s working, so why not try to repeat it? Yeah, it’s tough, but I will say it again: your rhythm has to be right and the areas you hit must be right. Especially with the white ball, if you hit the right areas, you get movement off the pitch. So that’s what matters the most. Not rocket science. Just a matter of rhythm, good food, keeping your mind uncluttered, and, most importantly, the love of the people. The support we get in India has a huge role. When you go out of India, you get so much support from Indians. So I will keep trying to make everyone happy.”