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In a replay of the Asia Cup final, Mohammed Shami overshadowed Mohammed Siraj’s brilliant spell, propelling India to the Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-finals with a commanding 302-run victory at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Ever since Shami’s inclusion in India’s playing XI, the pace trio has proven unstoppable, and once again, the Sri Lankan batters succumbed to their prowess. Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate impact, dismissing Pathum Nissanka for a golden duck with a delivery that swung away sharply, found an edge on its way, and hit the stumps right in front.
Nissanka attempted to challenge the decision with a review, but the umpire’s call favored Bumrah, bringing an end to Nissanka’s innings. In the following over, Mohammed Siraj sent Dimuth Karunaratne packing for a golden duck. Karunaratne attempted to flick the ball but missed, getting trapped in front of the stumps.
Sadeera Samarawickrama was the next to fall in the same over as he attempted to punch the ball to relieve the pressure but found a thick outside edge, resulting in a catch for Shreyas Iyer.
Siraj struck again in his second over, shattering Kusal Mendis’s stumps and sending him back with just one run to his name. As the umpire raised his finger, Siraj celebrated with Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘Siu’ gesture.
Charith Asalanka and Angelo Mathews started the rebuilding process, but Shami’s introduction into the attack unraveled the middle order. In his first over of the night, Shami claimed two consecutive wickets, dismissing Charith Asalanka and Dushan Hemantha on back-to-back deliveries.
Shami continued his attack, eager to claim more wickets and secure a quick victory for the Men in Blue. KL Rahul’s excellent call behind the stumps brought India closer to the semi-finals. Dushmantha Chameera attempted to flick the ball, and although it appeared he had missed the shot, Rahul completed the catch and was the only one to ask for a review. Rohit Sharma trusted Rahul’s instincts, and the DRS showed a spike as the ball passed the gloves, leaving umpire Chris Brown baffled.
Shami secured his fourth victim of the night by breaching Mathews’ defense and dislodging the bails of the stumps, ending his innings with just 12 runs. With Shami’s form, it seemed like another wicket was just around the corner.
Four overs later, Shami’s hunt for a wicket came to an end as Kasun Rajitha was dismissed for 14 runs, marking Shami’s second five-wicket haul in the ongoing World Cup.
Ravindra Jadeja claimed the final wicket, wrapping up the game with a remarkable 302-run victory.
In the earlier innings, Virat Kohli (88), Shreyas Iyer (82), and Shubman Gill (92) delivered outstanding performances, propelling India to a total of 357/8 against Sri Lanka. While Dilshan Madhushanka claimed a five-wicket haul, it was not enough to restrict India from posting a substantial total.
