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India demolish Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to win Asia Cup

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 21:58:47  S O Correspondent   PTI

COLOMBO: Mohammed Siraj conjured a magical spell of seam and swing bowling with magnificent figures of 6 for 21 as India crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to lift the Asia Cup title after a gap of five years.

This was India's seventh Asia Cup title and also their biggest victory (263 balls) in ODIs in terms of balls remaining.

Siraj's astonishing effort saw defending champions Sri Lanka getting bundled out for 50.

India did not bat an eyelid in the chase, as Shubman Gill (27) and Ishan Kishan (23) did the job in just 6.1 overs.

This was India's first title in a multi-nation event after their triumph in the Asia Cup 2018, and in a way, it also exorcised the ghost of India's 54 all-out against Lanka in the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy at Sharjah in 2000.

The match at Premadasa, forever, will be remembered for the way Siraj reduced the Lankan top-order to mere puppets of his sorcery.

Perhaps, he was destined to have a day like this, said the Hyderabadi.

"Jitna naseeb mein hota hai wahi milta, aaj mera naseeb tha (You get what's in our destiny, today it was my destiny)," Siraj summed up the mood while talking to broadcasters in the mid-innings break.

effect on this day, that uprooted his off-stump.

At 33 for 6, someone needed to try and break the shackles and Mendis tried to do it.

But this time, Siraj nipped one back in to beat the Lankan batter's booming drive and rearranged his timber.

It was a magnificent effort by a fast bowler on top of his trade, complete mayhem, but yet so beautifully dipped in the art of quick bowling.

He did not use his deadly wobble seam delivery even once in his unbroken seven-over spell but destroyed Lanka with a combination of outswingers and the occasional in-dipper.

Once Siraj finished his spell, there was nothing left in the Lankan innings.

Hardik Pandya picked up the remaining crumbs of Lankan innings with a three-wicket haul (3/3).

Sri Lanka needed someone to bowl a Siraj-esque spell, but they did not have anyone, as India completed a comprehensive victory in just 116 minutes.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 50 all out in 15.2 overs (Kusal Mendis 17; Mohammed Siraj 6/21, Hardik Pandya 3/3).

India 51 for no loss in 6.1 overs (Shubman Gill 27 not out, Ishan Kishan 23 not out).