Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka vs India: Dunith Wellalage's 5-40, Rohit Sharma's 53 and Kuldeep Yadav's 4-43 are top performances. India beat Sri Lanka by 41 runs and advance to Asia Cup final.
Brief Scores: Ind 197/9 (Rohit 53, Wellalage 5/40, Asalanka 4/18) beat SL 172 (Wellalage 42*, De Silva 41, Kuldeep 4/43) by 41 runs.
Player of the match: Dunith Wellalage (42* runs, 5-40)
In less than 15 hours after beating Pakistan by a huge 228-run margin, India locked horns with Sri Lanka, who are unbeaten for 13 ODIs coming into the game, for their second super four encounter of Asia Cup 2023 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
However, Sri Lanka have won only two of their last 15 ODIs against India.
Talking point: Rohit’s captaincy middle order contribution among positives for India
Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front, made great changes in the field, and used his resources correctly at the right time. The contribution from India’s middle order- KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan has been really satisfying for them, as are their superb bowling performances. However, Ravindra Jadeja needs to find and add some runs in the lower order soon.
India ends Sri Lanka’s winning streak to book a ticket for the final
India captain Rohit Sharma, on winning the toss, decided to bat first on a pitch that was expected to slow down later in the evening. Sri Lanka remained unchanged, while India left out Shardul Thakur instead of Axar Patel.
Decided to bat first, India went off to a flying start with their openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting on 80/0 in 11 overs before the spin web of Sri Lanka reduced them to 128/3 at the halfway mark. After the 63-run fourth wicket stand between KL Rahula and Ishan Kishan, India had no answer to the spin duo of Dunith Wellalage and Charith Asalanka (4/19) as they strolled to 186/9 in 43 overs before being bundled out for 213.
Chasing a low total, Sri Lanka was in trouble, losing three early wickets inside the 10 overs to reach 39/3. The same story continues till the 20th over, as they reached 79/5. The 63-run seventh wicket stand between Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage carried them to 157/6 in 37 before India’s last punch bundled out Sri Lanka for 172 to win the game by 41 runs.
Read More: Asia Cup 2023, IND vs PAK: Virat-Rahul shine; Kuldeep bowls India to biggest victory over Pak
Let’s scan the top three performances from the game between India & Sri Lanka in Colombo
Young Wellalage foxed India with a superb all-round show of 5/40 & 42*
Dunith Wellalage, the highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka during the 2022 Under 19 Cricket World Cup with 17 scalps, is rated as one of the best upcoming bowling all-rounders for his side, and he again showed his ability with the ball.
With India 80/0 in 10 overs, on his first ball of the game, Wellalage sent back opener Shubman Gill on 19, who was driven into the forward defense to the ball that hit the off stump after pitching on the middle stump line. On his score of two in an attempt to flick the ball, Virat Kohli found the mid-wicket fielder. Wellalage got the better of Rohit Sharma on 53 with a delivery that almost went with the floor.
Returning in the 30th over, the 20-year-old broke the 63-run fourth wicket stand with the wicket of KL Rahul on 39, who offered a tame return catch to the bowler. On the last ball of his spell, Wellalage found the edge of Hardik Pandya on 5 to finish with 5/40 in 10 overs, including a maiden. He has 18 ODI wickets in 13 games at an average of 24.17.
Even though he failed to pull off the chase, Wellalage held the key in Sri Lanka’s chase with a fine, calm knock of 42*, shouldering on three boundaries and one six.
Rohit provided India's solid platform with a fiery 53-run knock
After poorly starting the tournament, Rohit Sharma has shown his class in all the games since then.
Rohit drove Kasun Ranjitha through the covers for a beautiful boundary before flicking Dasun Shanka through backward square leg for the same result. With a typical straight drive six over the head of Ranjita, Rohit reached 10k ODI runs. He now has 96 ODI runs in 86 balls, besides one dismissal against Ranjitha.
Dasun Shanaka was punched all around the ground for four boundaries by Rohit, who smashed Matheesha Pathirana over deep mid-wicket for an over boundary. The Indian captain now has unbeaten 25 ODI runs in 16 balls against his opposite number. He made 53 runs in 48 balls with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes to now have 10031 runs in 248 ODI games.
Read More: Asia Cup 2023, IND vs PAK: Shubman and Rohit's Blistering Partnership Puts India In Command
Kuldeep carried India over the line with 4/43
Just around 15 hours ago, Kuldeep Yadav blew away Pakistan's five-wicket haul, and now he was asked to do the same job again.
After being economical in his first few overs, Kuldeep foxed Sadeera Samarawickrama on 17, who had no clue of the variation of the ball. He also dismissed Asalanka on 22, who, in an attempt to sweep, was caught brilliantly by KL Rahul with the gloves.
Coming back under pressure in the 42nd over, Kuldeep knocked over the stumps of Ranjitha on 1 with a googly before Pathirana missed his sweep only to see the ball disturbing the furniture. Kuldeep, who finished with 4/43 in 9.3 overs, now has 150 ODI scalps in 88 games.
Stats highlights from Sri Lanka vs India, Asia Cup 2023
Virat Kohli has been dismissed against left-arm orthodox spinners for eight times at an average of just 13 since 2021.
Dunith Wellalage becomes the youngest (20 years 246 days) becomes the youngest Sri Lanka spinner to take an ODI five-for.
Rohit Sharma becomes the second fastest (241 innings) to score 10k ODI runs behind Virat Kohli (205). Rohit is also the fastest to score 8000 ODI runs as an opener in 160 innings, going past Hasim Amla, who achieved the feat in 176 innings.
Rohit and Gill became the fastest pair (13 innings) to score 1000 partnership runs for India, surpassing Rohit and KL Rahul’s feat in 14 innings.
Rohit and Virat also become the fastest pair to score 5000 partnership ODI runs in 86 innings, going past Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes’s 97 innings.
Ravindra Jadeja is now India's leading wicket-taker (24 scalps) for India in Asia Cup history.
For India, Kuldeep Yadav is the second fastest (88 games) to take 150 ODI wickets after Mohammad Shami (78).
Points table scenario and what’s to come
With the win, India, with four points and a net run rate (NRR) of +2.69, qualifies for the tournament's final, while Sri Lanka, in second position, finds itself in a do-or-die position.
Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka on September 14 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Read More: Asia Cup 2023: Group A, NEP vs IND: Rohit and Gill's scintillating stand take India to Super Fours
Asia Cup 2023, Super 4 Points Table
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