India beat Sri Lanka by 41 runs in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup on Tuesday. The hosts were all out for 173 runs while chasing a 214-run target at the Premadasa Stadium.
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was again the star of the match for India as he bagged four wickets. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also played a crucial role and hit fifty to ensure his side had a defendable total against the title defenders.
The Lions did not get the right start in its chase as the top order fell to an Indian bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage gave some hope to Sri Lanka. They made 50-run partnership, but it was Ravindra Jadeja who got Silva out at mid on.
With the victory, India are through to the final. Pakistan would play Sri Lanka on Thursday, a do-or-die contest for both sides.
Indian batting line stuttered against SL, as Dunith Wellalage took five wickets in the must-winning match of the tournament for them.
Shubman Gill was the first batter to fall off left-arm spinner Wellalage’s delivery. Then it was a nightmare for the Indian batting line-up as the spinner continued to haunt them with his deliveries.
He got five important wickets.
It merits here to mention that Sri Lanka are defending their title in this regional tournament.
India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in Colombo for Tuesday’s Asia Cup Super Four clash.
India hammered arch-rivals Pakistan by 228 runs on Monday in a match played across two days because of rain and now head into their third straight day of cricket.
They made one change with left-arm spinner Axar Patel coming in for Shardul Thakur in the 50-over tournament, which is a prelude to the World Cup starting next month.
Batsman Shreyas Iyer was yet to fully recover from the back spasm which saw him miss the Pakistan match, India’s cricket board said.
Sri Lanka, led by Dasun Shanaka, named an unchanged team from their previous win over Bangladesh in their first match of the Super Four.
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana
(With input from AFP)
