by 
India and Sri Lanka faced each other in a highly anticipated match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 2nd November 2023, as part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. India, who were the defending champions, came into the match as heavy favorites, having won all six of their previous matches in the tournament. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, was looking to bounce back from a string of defeats.
India won the toss and elected to bat first. They got off to a flying start, with Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli putting on a 120-run partnership for the first wicket. Gill was eventually dismissed for 92, but Kohli continued to bat aggressively and scored a brilliant 88 off 94 balls. Shreyas Iyer also chipped in with a valuable 82, and India finished their innings on a mammoth 357/8.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers had a tough day at the office, with only Dilshan Madushanka managing to take five wickets. However, they were able to contain India’s scoring rate in the death overs, which helped them to restrict the home team to a total that was slightly below par.
Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a disastrous start, as they lost three wickets in the first four overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj bowled with pace and accuracy, and the Sri Lankan batsmen simply had no answers. Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Charith Asalanka were all dismissed for single digits, and Sri Lanka was reeling at 3/4.
Sri Lanka was eventually bowled out for 55, losing the match by a massive 302 runs.
This was Sri Lanka’s lowest-ever total in a World Cup match, and it was a humiliating defeat for the visitors.
Highlights of the match:
- India’s batting masterclass: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer all scored half-centuries to help India post a massive total of 357/8.
- Jasprit Bumrah’s fiery start: Bumrah dismissed Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva in his first two overs to set the tone for the Indian bowling attack.
- Mohammed Siraj’s three-wicket haul: Siraj picked up three wickets in his spell to further dent Sri Lanka’s batting lineup.
- Mohammed Shami pick 5 wicket hall
India became the first team to qualify for the semifinal in this cricket World Cup 2023.
India’s victory over Sri Lanka was a crushing one. They were dominant in all three departments of the game, and they showed why they are one of the favorites to win the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will need to regroup and find a way to improve their performances if they want to have any chance of making a deep run in the tournament.
