Srinagar: Ahead of home World Cup 2023, Team India pacers have sent a strong message to other teams with some sensational performance in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 and on Sunday Mohammad Siraj wrecked havoc in Sri Lanka batting lineup.
After opting to bat in Colombo, the right-arm pacer exploited the overcast conditions to optimum effect, sending shock waves through the Sri Lankan team management after Jasprit Bumrah struck the first blow in the opening over of the match.
Siraj in the fourth over, started with the dismissal of Pathum Nissanka on the very first delivery. Nissanka went for an aggressive shot, and Ravindra Jadeja, positioned behind square, pulled off a spectacular diving catch to send the batter back to the pavilion for just two runs. But that was only the beginning of troubles for the Sri Lankans.
Siraj clicked 143kph on the next delivery that was marginally outside off, as Samarawickrama defends it to no harm. However, on the very next ball, Siraj bowled to Sadeera Samarawickrama, delivering a full-length ball that moved sharply into the right-hander.
With three balls still left in the over, Siraj continued to wreak havoc on the Sri Lankan batting order. He claimed his third wicket in the over by dismissing Charith Asalanka, who had been the hero of the previous match against Pakistan but was sent back without scoring a run.
Although Siraj narrowly missed a hat-trick as Sri Lanka managed to find a boundary, he wrapped up the over with another wicket. Dhananjaya da Silva attempted an overly aggressive shot on an outswinger, offering a straightforward catch to wicketkeeper KL Rahul.
Siraj also etched his name in record books as the first Indian to take four wickets in an over in ODIs. In his very next over, Siraj also took his fifth wicket, leaving Sri Lanka in tatters. He completed his fifer in just 2.4 overs, which is the fastest by an Indian as well.
The Indian bowler didn’t end there, further adding a sixth wicket to the tally when he castled Kusal Mendis on 17.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka got all out for 50 run total. This is the lowest ODI total by a team against India, going past the 58 from Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2014.
This is also lowest total in an ODI final, surpassing India’s 54 against Sri Lanka in a tri-series that had Zimbabwe as well.
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