Team India cruised to the semi-final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with a resounding 302-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday (November 2).
Asked to bat first, the hosts rode on half-centuries from Shubman Gill (92), Virat Kohli (88) and Shreyas Iyer (82) to pile up a mammoth 357/8 on the board.
Defending the total, Indian fast bowlers ran through the Sri Lankan batting line-up and bundled them out for a paltry 55 in 19.4 overs.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah trapped Pathum Nissanka LBW on the first delivery of the chase and then Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami completed a demolition job.
Siraj removed Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis in the span of two overs while Shami got rid of Charith Asalanka, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Angelo Mathews and Kasun Rajitha to claim his second five-wicket haul in this World Cup.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took the last wicket of Dilshan Madushanka to seal the deal for India.
With his spell of 5/18 in five overs, Shami also surpassed Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan to become India’s highest wicket-taker in World Cup history.
For their destructive bowling display, India’s pace trio received rich praise from the cricket fraternity on social media platform X.
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