India book their semi-final berth with a superlative display to blow away Sri Lanka

Talk about storming into the semi-finals of the World Cup and Team India probably conjured one from The Great Red Spot on Jupiter that would instill fear in the hearts of any opposition who are to cross swords with the Men in Blue in the imminent days. Pulling off a win similar to the 2023 Asia Cup final, India blew away Sri Lanka without any mercy whatsoever.

Winning the toss, Sri Lanka opted to bowl first at Wankhede, trying to make amends for that slump in the infamous 2011 WC finale when they batted first and India managed to brave them still, despite the heroic efforts of Mahela Jayawardene.

India had an early stutter in their innings as Rohit Sharma was castled by Dilshan Madushanka for a paltry 4. However, the scalp of Rohit proved to be the grit in the oyster for the Indian cricket team as it paved the path for an incoming Virat Kohli, who joined Shubman Gill at the center.

Two of India’s finest, the King and the Prince, wreaked absolute carnage on the Sri Lankan bowlers as they overcame the early jitters and started peppering them into all corners of the park. Scoring at 6 runs per over, the duo posted a staggering partnership of 189 runs for the second wicket before Gill holed out to Kusal Mendis off Madushanka’s bowling for 92 while Kohli followed suit, playing down the throat of Pathum Nissanka off the same bowler while he was batting on 88.

The fall of Kohli and Gill did very little to dissuade India from continuing the onslaught that seemed well in place to haunt the Sri Lankan bowlers. Shreyas Iyer proved to be the new architect of Sri Lanka’s decimation and while he received support in bits and pieces from the other end that came in the form of KL Rahul (21), Suryakumar Yadav (12) and Ravindra Jadeja (35), he ensured that India’s imperious dominion had no end whatsoever.

Iyer blasted a 56-ball-82 that comprised three fours and six sixes before finally being undone by Madushanka that proved to be the fourth for the day for him. Thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s late charge, India finished with a total of 357/8 with the southpaw managing to rack up 35 from 24 balls.  Despite going for 80 runs from his allotment of 10 overs, Madushanka claimed a fifer as his and his team’s solitary consolation.

Everyone who thought that India’s batting display was the highlight of the day and Sri Lanka will be fighting tooth and nail to at least come close to the target, considering how they posted 344 against Pakistan earlier in the tournament, were in for an absolute shocker. No one would have thought the upcoming spell of play would have left the Lions reeling in agony at ground zero.

Jasprit Bumrah roared to life in the very first ball of the Lankan innings as he trapped Nissanka in front of the stumps for a golden duck. The fall of Nissanka was just the bare creaking of the Pandora’s Box for Sri Lanka while Mohammed Siraj forced it open and left it right in the heart of the Lankan innings until they were not dissolved into fragments of despair.

Siraj’s carnage started with the big fish Dimuth Karunaratne as he was trapped before the stumps for a golden duck too. Sadeera Samawickrama had the barest of escapes on the very first ball when DRS overturned the on-field call from the umpire but the stay extended only until the next three balls as a zipping outswinger on the line of the off-stump forced him to attempt a shot and in the process, he ended up holing out to Shreyas Iyer in the slip cordon for another duck in the Lankan innings.

Kusal Mendis was the next in the cavalcade of the Lankan batters headed towards the dressing room as another outswinger from Miyan which had a very late wobble proved to be the unravelling of the Sri Lankan captain.  If Siraj and Bumrah’s early in-hand carnage was the overture to what was going to be a long night of carnage for India’s neighbours, Mohammed Shami raised the roof with another captivating spell that left the Lions wounded first and then buried them six feet under.

For Shami, it started with Charith Asalanka who played straight to Ravindra Jadeja as he departed for a solitary run for which he took 25 balls. Dushan Hemantha didn’t last long either as KL Rahul claimed a brilliant catch diving to his right.

Dushmantha Chameera fell victim to the alert and proactive keeping from KL Rahul. Off a delivery from Shami that headed down the legside, Rahul put in a sensational dive followed by a persistent and an incisive call to ask Rohit for the review of the delivery which was initially deemed wide. Upon review, it was seen that the ball nicked off Chameera’s gloves along the way and the Indian fans were already erupting.

Sri Lanka’s most experienced war horse, Angelo Matthews, was cleaned up by Shami next as he departed for 12, putting an end to any hopes that they housed at that point in time. Surprisingly though,  Sri Lanka’s highest partnership came from two of their bowlers as Kasun Rajitha and Maheesh Theeksana added 20 runs, allowing the Lankans to reach upto 49. However, Shami drew the curtains on the solitary shard of resistance, producing a nick from Rajitha as Gill comfortably pouched a sitter in the slip cordon. 

Jadeja put Sri Lanka out of their misery as Madushanka’s attempt at sweeping the former went sky high and Iyer was not going to make any mistake on an immaculate day like this. Mohammed Shami was awarded the Player of the Match for his sensational five-wicket haul that blew Sri Lanka away to smithereens.