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Bowling brilliance inspires India to massive win over Sri Lanka

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Half-centuries from Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer lit up the first innings, before India’s seam attack took over in style, ripping through Sri Lanka in a dominant display under the Wankhede Stadium lights.

Match Highlights of the India-Sri Lanka game. India won their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 encounter against Sri Lanka by 302 runs, a World Cup record win for them.

Mohammed Shami became India’s leading wicket-taker at Men’s Cricket World Cups in just his 14th appearance, coming on at first-change to take 5/18 from five overs, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 55.

But the brilliant Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had already put India in a dominant position, having Sri Lanka four down for just three runs at one stage in a ruthless opening powerplay.

Highlights of Mohammed Shami's 5/18. Shami continued his unbelievable run in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.

The result is the fourth-largest margin of victory by runs in the history of men’s ODI cricket, the second-largest margin at a World Cup (trailing only Australia’s hammering of the Netherlands a week ago), and India's biggest win at a World Cup.

Highlights of India batting innings. The Men in Blue posted 357/8 in their 50 overs after being asked to bat first.

Earlier, after the excellent Dilshan Madushanka accounted for Rohit Sharma (4) early, Kohli and Gill stitched together a mammoth 189-run stand for the second wicket to set India up for a big total.

Highlights of the Virat Kohli knock which powered India after an early loss. The knock included 11 fours.

Neither were able to go on and reach triple figures, with Madushanka removing Gill for a run-a-ball 92 and then Kohli for 88.

Highlights of Shubman Gill's 92. The batter showed good form in Mumbai with a knock that included 11 fours and two sixes.

But Iyer’s explosive 82 from 56 deliveries helped India accelerate towards the death, with Sri Lanka left with a big target of 358 to win.

Highlights of Shreyas Iyer's 82. The batter hit six sixes in his knock.

Madushanka finished with five wickets to his name, accounting for five of India’s top six in a superb individual performance. But his exploits were subsequently overshadowed by the opposition quicks, who delivered a display for the ages to thrill the Mumbai crowd.

Having posted their biggest total of the tournament so far, India’s new-ball bowlers ripped Sri Lanka apart in the powerplay, with Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah removing all of the top four in a remarkable early flurry of wickets.

Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama all departed without scoring, with the two openers both falling to the first balls they faced. And captain Kusal Mendis could only add one run as Sri Lanka slipped to four down in an astonishing spell of play.

Digital Daily looks at India thumping Sri Lanka to lock in their place in the knockout stages during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, with Australia legend Ricky Ponting and ICC Digital Insider Tanvi Shah

Nissanka (0) was removed from the very first ball of the innings, trapped lbw by a trademark Bumrah inswinger. And Siraj also struck with his first ball of the innings to remove Karunaratne, prising out Samarawickrama later in that same over.

A peach from Siraj effectively ended any lingering Sri Lanka hopes, as the on-fire opener angled one back in to Mendis that clipped the top of off stump so hard that it even broke the bails.

And things went from bad to worse for Sri Lanka when Mohammed Shami took two in two balls to leave the score at 14/6.

Mohammed Shami picked two wickets in his very first over.

Charith Asalanka was the first to fall to Shami for a resolute 24-ball 1, and Dushan Hemantha became the third golden duck of the innings next up.

And Shami’s brilliant World Cup continued as he ran through the Sri Lanka middle and lower order, finishing with stunning figures of 5/18.

Siraj’s brilliant earlier spell earned him figures of 3/16 from seven overs and Bumrah ended with 1/8 from five.

Kusal Mendis won the toss and decided to bowl first in the Mumbai afternoon. And the captain’s choice looked inspired when Dilshan Madushanka silenced the Wankhede crowd with a brilliant off-cutter that cleaned up Rohit Sharma (4) off just the second ball of the match.

Dilshan Madushanka had the India skipper bowled off the very second ball of the game.

The early optimism that had come from Rohit’s innings-opening boundary was displaced by some nerves, with India forced to rebuild without their in-form captain.

But Kohli and Gill survived a tough new-ball test from Madushanka and Dushmantha Chameera, with both batters dropped inside the first six overs, to lead India’s rebuild.

India's top-order was troubled by some good work from Dilshan Madushanka and Dushmantha Chameera.

And, following the first Powerplay, the duo made most of a surface that was becoming increasingly batting-friendly.

Kohli brought up yet another ODI fifty in the 17th over, while Gill followed up with one of his own in the 19th over, with India going at six-per-over by the midway point of the innings.

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill hit a flurry of boundaries in the first Powerplay.

It was Gill who looked to crank up the scoring rate yet further, but the return of Madushanka to the attack prompted a swing in momentum, with Gill falling short of his hundred when he edged behind to the keeper.

And things got even better for the Lions when Madushanka trapped Kohli with yet another off-cutter. The Indian veteran tried to weave it through covers but could only offer a catch to Pathum Nissanka to depart for 88.

Dilshan Madushanka accounted for the set Shubman Gill (92) and Virat Kohli (88) at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.

With plenty of time left in the game, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul started India’s second rebuild of the innings. And with KL keeping things safe at one end, Iyer looked to make a statement at the other.

One of Iyer’s string of boundaries was a humungous one off Kasun Rajitha in the 36th over, which, at 106 m, was the biggest hit of the tournament.

Shreyas Iyer slammed the biggest six of the tournament against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. It went for 106 metres.

Rahul fell for 21 to Dushmantha Chameera, but that brought another Mumbai player, Suryakumar Yadav to the ground, accompanied by enormous cheers from the Wankhede faithful.

The big-hitting number six began with two immaculate straight fours to get off to a flyer, but was removed by the dangerous Madushanka for just 12 to leave the game fascinatingly poised inside the final ten overs of the first innings.

Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja unleashed some big hits towards the end of India's innings.

Shreyas Iyer let rip after passing his fifty, hitting six maximums in his excellent 82 from 56 balls, removed by that man Madushanka, who finished with 5/80 from his ten overs.

And while some late hits from Ravindra Jadeja lifted the total to 357/8, India would have finished the innings slightly disappointed that they hadn’t racked up even more.

But the bowlers ensured that the total was never remotely at risk in a match that evoked memories of the recent Asia Cup Final meeting between the same two nations.

Defeat leaves Sri Lanka in a position where it’s highly unlikely they will make the final four of the tournament.

And India can begin to look ahead to a semi-final appearance, potentially back on this same ground in just under a fortnight’s time.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

**Sri Lanka squad:**Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (c) (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka

Star batter Suryakumar Yadav is out to make an impact in the 50-over format for India at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

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