Rohit Sharma-led India registered a flawless victory against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, the same venue they won the World Cup 2011 final. After Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer’s half-centuries helped India post a total of 357/8, it was total annihilation from India’s pace trio, especially Mohammed Shami as Sri Lanka registered their lowest score of 55 in the World Cup and lost by a margin of 302 runs. With a massive defeat, Sri Lanka are also knocked out of the semi-final race.
Kusal Mendis won the toss and opted to field first. Rohit started the match with a boundary off Dilshan Madushanka. Next ball, Rohit played down the wrong line as his stump was uprooted by Madushanka on the second ball of the match. Dushmantha Chameera started off with a maiden over to Shubman Gill. Kohli got off to a nervy start. One of the deliveries almost carried back to Chameera. He bowled another maiden over. Then Gill hit Madushanka for consecutive fours. In the same over, Charith Asalanka dropped his catch at cover-point. Chameera almost got rewarded for his discipline but ended up dropping Kohli’s catch off his own bowling. He rubbed salt on Chameera’s wounds with two fours in the same over.
After both batters got an early reprieve, boundaries flowed easily. Introducing spinners did not help Sri Lanka either. In the 17th over, Kohli got to his half-century from 50 balls. Gill completed his half-century from 55 balls in the 19th over. Meanwhile, Kohli achieved milestones in the middle overs. Gill hit the first six of the innings in the 28th over. But he could not get to his century. Madushanka returned to get his wicket with a slower one. The opener scored a run-a-ball 92 including 11 fours and two sixes. Gill and Kohli shared an 189-run partnership for the second wicket. Kohli could not get to his century either to equal Sachin Tendulkar's tally of centuries. Madushanka got his wicket in his next over. He scored 88 runs from 94 balls including 11 fours.
Shreyas Iyer took a few deliveries to settle. He hit the first six off his innings off Kasun Rajitha. He continued to hit big. But KL Rahul could not last long in the middle. He scored 21 runs from 19 balls and lost his wicket to Chameera in the 40th over. Suryakumar Yadav started off with a few boundaries but could not capitalise. He became Madushanka's fourth victim of the day. Iyer reached his half-century from just 36 balls. In the 48th over, he went berserk and hit Madushanka for two consecutive sixes. But Madushanka managed to dismiss him with a full and wide delivery. He smashed six sixes and three fours in 56-ball 82. After Iyer's wicket, Ravindra Jadeja's 24-ball 35 cameo helped India post 357/8 on the board. Both Mohammed Shami and Jadeja lost their wickets in the final over.
Sri Lanka's run chase looked in shambles as soon as it started. Jasprit Bumrah started off with the wicket of Pathum Nissanka. The angled-in delivery hit Nissanka on the pad. Mohammed Siraj started off with a wicket too. Dimuth Karunaratne flicked and missed the ball as he got out for a golden duck. In the same over, Samarawickrama edged one to third slip Iyer and departed for a four-ball duck. Siraj in his next over beat Mendis' bat to hit the stumps. Sri Lanka were reduced to 3/4 in the fourth over. Experienced Mathews hit the first boundary of the innings. Bumrah followed it up with a maiden over.
Asalanka went on a blockathon against Bumrah and Siraj. The introduction of Mohammed Shami into the attack led to his departure as Jadeja took a good catch at backward point. On the next delivery, he got the wicket of Hemantha as Sri Lanka were reduced to 14/6 in the 10th over. In Shami's next over, Rahul took a brilliant review to send Chameera back to the dressing room. In the 14th over, Shami struck again to uproot the leg stump and send Mathews packing for a 25-ball 22. Rajitha and Theekshana helped Sri Lanka avoid getting bowled out for the lowest score in World Cup history.
In his fifth over of the spell, Shami completed his fifer. He forced an outside edge off Rajitha's bat. He scored 14 runs from 17 balls. Shami also became India's highest wicket-taker in World Cups. Jadeja took the last wicket as Sri Lanka got bowled out for 55 in the 20th over.
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