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On the eve of the World Cup 2023 match at the Wankhede Stadium, Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood did not mind being handed a brutal reminder of the Asia Cup final clash back in September this year. He said: “It’s a good opportunity for our boys to show what they’re made of as well. So hopefully, the defeat in the Asia Cup will give motivation to the boys.” But Sri Lanka incurred a similar fate. 50 all out in the Asia cup final, 55 all out on Thursday night. Memories of that Colombo clash haunted the visitors as the Indian pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj handed Sri Lanka a humiliating World Cup low.
Was it a poor call from Kusal Mendis to ball first? It didn’t seem when Dilshan Madushanka struck in the second ball of the innings to dismiss India captain Rohit Sharma. But under the lights at the Wankhede, the white ball tends to do something and India have the perfect pair, no trio, to unleash a wide range of monsters. And even if there was a slightest believe that Sri Lanka could realise a 358-run chase, Jasprit Bumrah’s opening over summed it up before Mohammed Siraj, who was so far having an average World Cup campaign, brought flashbacks of that Asia Cup final show.
Bumrah struck in the very first ball of the innings with a dreamy delivery, dismissing Pathum Nissanka, Sri Lanka’s most consistent batter in the tournament, who was looking for the angle against the length ball around off but instead got beaten on the outside edge after the ball had straightened and hit plumb on the pads in line with the top of middle stump. Siraj too struck in his first ball in the next over, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne before getting rid of Sadeera Samarawickrama four deliveries later and Kusal Mendis in the opening ball of his following over. The right-armer held a ridiculous bowling figure of 0 for 3 until then with Sri Lanka recording their lowest score in eight years at the fall of the fourth wicket (3).
The new-ball party was eventually joined by Mohammed Shami, in the final over the powerplay, as he Charith Asalanka and Dushan Hemantha in successive deliveries to reduce Sri Lanka to 6 down for only 14 at the end of the 10th over.
And from there on, it was Shami’s night altogether. He picked up two more in his next two overs, dismissing Dushmantha Chameera and Angelo Matthews before completing a second five-wicket haul in this World Cup after Kasun Rajitha edged the fuller and outside off delivery to Shubman Gill at second slip. Overall, it was his third fi-fer in World Cups, still the most ever by an Indian and now the joint-most ever alongside Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
Ravindra Jadeja obliged with the final wicket in the 20th over, getting last man Madushanka as India recorded a colossal win of 302 runs. Sri Lanka did escape the ignominy of an all-time World Cup low of 36, which still belongs to Canada, but their eventual score of 55 is now their lowest ever score in the tournameny history, surpassing 86 which they had settled for in the 1975 World Cup match against West Indies in Manchester. Overall, it stands as the fourth-lowest score ever after Canada’s 36 and 45 in 2003 and 1979 respectively and Namibia’s 45 in 2003.
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