India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup Champion 2023: Siraj Shines as Indian Team Clinches Trophy with Dominant Victory Over Sri Lanka
Asia Cup Champion 2023: India vs Sri Lanka met in the final of the Asia Cup 2023 at the Colombo Stadium on a very rain-soaked day. There was some rain before the start of the match and the game started shortly after the scheduled time. As expected, the players who were rested in the previous match with the Indian team today came back. However, cricket fans witnessed an incredible final at Sri Lanka’s home ground.
The result of the two heavyweights meeting was 11-11 before today’s match. The two countries were equally competing in terms of winning the title. India had seven Asia Cups in their kitty, while Sri Lanka won six. If they win today, Dasun Shanaka has a chance to share the seat with India as the most successful team in the tournament. In the current competition, the two teams met in the Super Four stage, in which there was a lot of fighting. Even in the final, the audience kept an eye on the television or smartphone screen with the hope of a great cricket. But in reality, it was the complete opposite. Sri Lanka’s dream of a seventh trophy was dashed in just a few hours as India’s pace caught fire.
Apart from the toss, nothing went in Sri Lanka’s favor today. Batting first, Kusal Perera lost his wicket off Bumrah. That’s the beginning. After that, Sri Lanka’s batting could not stand up. Mohammed Siraj ran a steam roller over them. Siraj explained in the Asia Cup final today why his name is uttered in one breath along with Shaheen, Starc, and Boult at the moment. He took six wickets for Sri Lanka. Hardik Pandya has done the rest. He has 3 wickets. India’s victory was just a matter of time as Sri Lanka’s innings ended on 50 runs in 15.2 overs. The ‘Men in Blue’ reached the target without losing any wickets in just 6.1 overs. By winning the eighth Asia Cup, Rohit’s team has shown that they are fully prepared for the upcoming World Cup.
Coach Dravid did not include Mohammed Siraj in the first XI against Bangladesh. Today, in the final, he came out with extra urgency. From the beginning of the innings, the Sri Lankan batsmen could not get access to the movement of his ball. Maiden delivers the first over. The ‘Mian magic’ started from his second over at twenty-two yards. In the first ball, Siraj returned Pathum Nishanka (Pathum Nishanka). He was caught by Ravindra Jadeja. No runs off the second ball. Hit again off the third and fourth balls. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka had to return to the dressing room for zero runs. Dhananjaya de Silva sent the fifth ball to the long-on boundary with a light push. Siraj takes ‘revenge’ off the last ball of the over. His outswing de Silva’s bat was caught by KL Rahul.
Siraj became the first Indian to take four wickets in the same over, but the tsunami did not stop there. He then brought back Dunith Wellalage and Kusal Mendis. Today, Siraj took 6 wickets for 21 runs in 7 overs. He bowled the best bowling of his career in the Final of the Asia Cup 2023. Hardik took 3 wickets for 3 runs in 2.2 overs. Jasprit Bumrah took the remaining one wicket. In the third ball of the first over, Kusal Perera was brought back and he caught the breakdown in the Sri Lanka batting. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50. For the first time in the Asia Cup 2023, fast bowlers have taken ten wickets of the opponent in a match. Only Kusal Mendis (17) and Dusan Hemant (13) scored double-digit runs on the Sri Lanka scoreboard, which looked like a telephone number.
Asia Cup Champion 2023: Easy win for India in a one-sided match-
Rohit Sharma did not open with Shubman Gill today. Instead, Ishan Kishan was sent by Team India. After scoring big runs in the group-stage match against Pakistan, Ishan Kishan suddenly had trouble adjusting to the middle order. He looked pretty comfortable back in his favorite position today. Shubman Gill proved in the first over that the pitch is not a killing ground for batsmen. He hit an unbeaten four over mid-wicket. He scored a hundred against Bangladesh but could not win the match. Today, he seemed even more assertive. It was as if he would not lose wickets at any cost.
On the one hand, when the pair of Shubman and Ishan is leading India to the eighth Asia Cup 2023 with determination, Sri Lanka looks very upset on the field. During the match, the reflection of breaking the dream became clear in their eyes. Shubman and Ishan Kishan took just 37 balls to score the winning runs. Both remained unbeaten on 27 off 17 balls and 23 off 18 balls respectively. Missed field, uncontrolled bowling – all were seen in 6.1 overs. India’s biggest win in the history of ODI cricket was against Kenya. Team India won the match with 231 balls to spare. Rohit Sharma’s team created a new record by winning the Asia Cup 2023 Champion by 10 wickets with 267 balls to spare.
Asia Cup Champion 2023: India XI
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj
Asia Cup Champion 2023: Sri Lanka XI
Pathum Nisanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Aslanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dunith Welles, Dushan Hemantha, Pramod Madushan, Mathisha Pathirana