Bowling brilliance inspires India to massive win over Sri Lanka

India v South Africa: Match Centre, Scorecard

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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