Mumbai: Team India demolished Sri Lanka by a massive 302 runs at Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday evening to post their seventh win in seven games and become the first team to seal a semifinal spot in the ODI World Cup.
The only unbeaten team in the tournament so far has pocketed 14 points, and will face second-placed South Africa at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on November 5.
India’s fearsome pacers came into their own once again after brilliant knocks by Shubman Gill (92 off 92 balls, 11×4, 2×6), Virat Kohli (88 off 94 balls, 11×4) and Shreyas Iyer (82 off 56, 3×4, 6×6) helped the home team amass 357/8.
Jasprit Bumrah struck with his first delivery, Mohammad Siraj ripped the heart out of Sri Lanka’s batting with 3 wickets in 2 overs before Mohammad Shami took over and bagged 5 wickets in a sensational exhibition of fast bowling by the Indian trio.
Shami, ignored in the first three matches, has now taken 14 wickets in 3 games – 5/54 versus New Zealand, 4/22 against New Zealand and 5/18 this time versus Lankans.
Shami also became the highest Indian wicket-taker in World Cups with 45 scalps in only 14 matches – surpassing Zaheer Khan (44 in 23 games) and Jawagal Srinath (44 in 34).
Five Lankans failed to open their account as India notched up the second-biggest victory margin in World Cup history — after Australia’s 309-run win against The Netherlands in this edition, at Delhi on October 25.
It was also the second time in two-and-a-half months that India sent Lanka packing very cheaply — they were 50 all out in the Asia Cup final.
Brief scores: India 357/8 in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 92, Virat Kohli 88, Shreyas Iyer 82; Dilshan Madushanka 5/80). Sri Lanka 55 all out in 19.4 overs (Md Shami 5/18, Md Siraj 3/16).
Man of the Match: Md Shami.
Points position: India (1st) 14 pts in 7 games, Sri Lanka (7th) 4 pts in 7 games.
India’s next game — Vs South Africa (Nov 5, Kolkata).
