For India, it was a case of rinse and repeat. They gave Sri Lanka a nightmare in the Asia Cup Final earlier this year and chose to have the Lankans dancing to those same tunes at a rapturous Wankhede, this time on a bigger stage.
And as the men in blue stormed into the semis for their 7th win, we were given an absolute treat with the numbers.
Virat Kohli couldn’t quite level up with Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 ODI 100, but he did beat one of the great man’s records, thanks to a composed 88.
He breached the 1001 mark in a single calendar year for the 8th time. Kohli has now done that the most times in history, and won more than his idol.
After buying knocks from Kohli and Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer produced an explosive 82, and there was something unique about India’s total of 357 for 8. It was the highest score without any of their batters getting a 100. India’s batting was measured, and their bowling, well, just mayhem.
The new ball bowlers reduced Sri Lanka’s top order to 3 for 4, that is the second lowest total in ODI, for a team that lost 4 wickets. Bumrah and Siraj brought the early fire, but you can’t keep Mohammed Shami out of the game now, can you? In a rip-roaring spell of 5 for 18, he took his tally of World Cup wickets to 45, and it has taken him just 14 matches.
For the icing on the cake, he is now India’s leading wicket-taker in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. India were relentless, as they wrapped up Sri Lanka for just 55. That is now Sri Lanka’s second lowest total against the men in blue, after their 50-all-out in the Asia Cup Finals just a couple of months back.
India are now the only team in history to win the World Cup, India are now the only team in history to have won by a margin of 300 runs twice, and both times against Sri Lanka, this year itself.
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