Sri Lanka said yesterday that they will take inspiration from the Asia Cup final in this match. Motivation is the determination to bounce back from the nightmare of being bowled out for 50 runs. But India, on the contrary, returned the power of Colombo's Premadasa to Mumbai's Wankhede.
In the Asia Cup final a month and a half ago, Rohit Sharma's team wrapped up Sri Lanka by 50 runs by picking up 6 wickets for 12 runs. Today in the league phase of the World Cup, Sri Lanka lost 6 wickets for 14 runs, finally all out for 55 runs!
This is the lowest innings by an ICC full member in World Cup history. That too at a time when Sri Lanka is chasing the 357 runs scored by India. India became the first team to win the World Cup by 302 runs.
Chasing three and a half hundred runs at the Wankhede in Mumbai, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nishanka's wicket on the first ball. Yashpreet Bumrah took the wicket by trapping lbw. Bumrah took Sri Lanka's first wicket in the first over of the Asia Cup final on September 17, followed by Mohammadsiraj. Today, the same scenario is repeated in Mumbai. After Bumrah took the first wicket, Mohammadsiraj came in and took three wickets in a row.
In the second over of the innings, Mohammadsiraj picked up Dimuth Karunaratne with the first ball, Sadira Samarawickrama with the fifth ball. Sri Lanka captain Kushal Mendis was his victim on the first ball of the next over.
Mohammadsiraj took 5 wickets from 16 balls in the Asia Cup final, 3 wickets from 7 balls in the first journey! When Sri Lanka lost their fourth wicket through Mohammadsiraj and Bumrah, the scoreboard was just 3 runs.
Angelo Mathews then tried to create a small resistance with Charitasalanka. Run or not, the two were trying to hold on to the wicket. But in the tenth over of the innings, Mohammadshami took the ball and that resistance was broken. Mohammadsiraj and Dushan returned Hemant with two consecutive balls.
Mohamadshami, however, did not stop there. After Dushmant Chamira was caught by the wicketkeeper, Mathews, holding one end, was sent back to bowl. After losing 8 wickets for 29 runs, Sri Lanka was in danger of ending up with the lowest run in the World Cup. It was Sri Lanka who shared the record by crushing Canada by 36 runs in the 2003 World Cup.
However, Sri Lanka survived the embarrassment of being bowled out for the lowest number of runs thanks to the determination of Mahish Tikshana and Kasun Rajita. In the ninth wicket, these two added 20 runs off 28 balls.
Sri Lanka were bowled out in 19.4 overs when Mohammadshami Rajita and Ravindra Jadeja picked up Dilshan Madushanka. Mohamadshami took 5 wickets for 18 runs.
Although the Sri Lanka could not bat the entire twenty overs, India batted 50 overs and lost only 8 wickets. He also scored more than three and a half hundred runs. Shubman Gill played the highest innings of 92 runs. Like Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer also made century chances. Kohli scored 88 and Iyer returned with 82 runs. Madushanka returned five Indian batsman including these three.
At the end of the day, India got a memorable win by getting Madushanka out. The win reminded me of the Asia Cup final in Colombo.
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