In a match that will long remain etched in the annals of cricketing history, Sri Lanka registering its second-lowest total in ODI cricket. The unfortunate event unfolded during the grand Asia Cup 2023 final against India, held at the iconic R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lankan batters couldn't stand Mohammed Siraj's surgical strike to record the lowest total in Asia Cup ODI history.
The day began on a positive note for the Sri Lankan side, with captain Dasun Shanaka winning the toss and electing to bat first in pursuit of posting a challenging total for the formidable Indian squad. However, what transpired on the pitch was far from what the Lankan lions had anticipated.
The ace Indian pacer Siraj delivered a remarkable bowling performance, dismantling the Sri Lankan batting lineup. His fiery spells, complemented by the aggressive Indian fielding, ensured that the hosts were skittled out for a paltry 50 runs in a mere 15.2 overs.
This disheartening score for Sri Lanka has now become the lowest total ever recorded in men's Asia Cup ODIs. The previous grim record was held by Bangladesh, who were dismissed for 87 against Pakistan back in the year 2000.
For Sri Lanka, this recent total is a harrowing reminder of their darkest day in ODI cricket. The team's lowest-ever score was a meager 43 runs, achieved in a devastating 20.1 overs in 2012, which culminated in a mammoth 258-run loss.
On Sunday at the R Premadasa stadium Mohammed Siraj unleashed havoc on the Sri Lankan batters, claiming 6 wickets, leaving the hosts staggering at 12/6 at one juncture. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya too made their mark, scalping one and three wickets respectively.
After a fruitless initial over, Siraj came back strongly, bagging four wickets in his subsequent over and adding another in the one that followed. With Bumrah drawing first blood for India in the opening over, Sri Lanka found themselves in deep trouble with only 12 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets. Remarkably, Siraj clinched his five-wicket haul in just 16 balls, equalling the record set by Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas against Bangladesh in 2003.
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