Kuldeep Yadav once again led India’s bowling attack with a four-for and carried his team to a 41-run victory over Sri Lanka to advance to the Asia Cup 2023 final.
India beat Sri Lanka to reach Asia Cup final: Sri Lanka’s 13-match winning streak was snapped by India’s 41-run victory, which also improved Pakistan’s prospects of making the 2023 Asia Cup final.
With two points apiece in two games, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will now face off on Thursday in a virtual semifinal.
Notably, Sri Lanka will join India in the Asia Cup final of 2023 if the crucial match is called off due to a higher net run rate.
Tuesday’s low-scoring thriller saw Sri Lanka chasing a modest 214-run mark, but the host team could only muster 172 in response despite a valiant innings from Dunith Wellalage.
With three wickets falling for just 25 runs in the eighth over, Sri Lanka had a terrible start to their run chase. This was down to the Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who had an outstanding opening performance.
Then, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dhananjaya de Silva formed a rapid 43-run partnership until Kuldeep Yadav, one of India’s top bowlers, bowled out Samarawickrama. He scored 17 runs cautiously, including a boundary.
Then, in quick succession, Sri Lanka lost two more wickets, dropping to 99/6 in 25.1 overs.
After that, a key 63-run combination between Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage helped Sri Lanka come back into the match.
Prior to Dhananjaya de Silva losing his wicket when charging Ravindra Jadeja in the 38th over, when Sri Lanka still required 52 runs, the home team was in a strong position.
In 66 deliveries, Dhananjaya de Silva scored a reasonable 41 runs while smashing five boundaries.
Following his dismissal, Sri Lanka rapidly lost wickets and got bowled out for 172 in the 42nd over.
Dunith Wellalage, who had an unbeaten 42 off 46 balls, found himself stranded at the crease.
With 4/43, Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling assault. Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah followed him, with each claiming two wickets, while Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya claimed one wicket each.
India, opting to bat first, managed to score only 213 runs and was bowl out in the last over, despite the half-century from their captain Rohit Sharma.
With a huge 228-run victory over Pakistan in the earlier Asia Cup 2023 match on Monday as fuel, India got off to a fast start with an 80-run opening stand.
With a quick knock, India’s skipper Sharma dominated the first-wicket partnership, which was the highest of the game.
His opening partner Shubman Gill, who was having trouble getting going, eventually lost his life in the 12th over after a shaky 19-run knock that took 25 deliveries.
Then, as India slid to 91/3, Dunith Wellalage changed the course of the match by dismissing star batsman Virat Kohli (3) and Rohit Sharma in his subsequent overs.
With a 48-ball 53 that included seven boundaries and two sixes, Rohit maintained his position as India’s leading scorer.
Following the collapse, India’s centurion KL Rahul and in-form Ishan Kishan stabilised the innings with a 63-run partnership in their final Asia Cup 2023 match before Wellalage struck once more.
Sri Lanka finally achieved success when the left-arm spinner bowled and caught Rahul. Rahul used one boundary and a six to hit a conservative 33 in 61 balls.
After quickly getting rid of Ishan Kishan, Wellalage’s spin bowling partner Charith Asalanka added to India’s misery, leaving them at 170/5.
Kishan hit two boundaries and managed to score 39 out of 44.
The spin-heavy Sri Lankan bowling attack seemed to have no idea how to handle India’s bottom order, as the host team quickly took control by limiting India to 186/9 in 42.2 overs.
Then, during their 10th wicket partnership, all-rounder Axar Patel and number 11 Mohammed Siraj added a significant 27 runs before the former mistimed one off Maheesh Theekshana on the first delivery of the last over.
Axar hit a crucial 26 runs in 36 deliveries, while Siraj added five unanswered.
With a five-wicket haul in the 10th Asia Cup 2023 match, Dunith Wellalage led Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. Charith Asalanka came in second with 4/18, and Theekshana claimed one victim.