Photo Indian Spinners:  Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav (Centre) and Ravindra Jadeja (Left) bagged six wickets among themselves against Sri Lanka in a Super 4 Asia Cup match to pave their teams entry in to the finals (Photo Courtesy ACC)

Two back to back wins in as many days for Team India against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in their Super 4 matches, paved the path for India’s qualification for the summit clash of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023.

The defining moments of the low-scoring showdown against defending champions Sri Lanka was left arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav's brilliant four -wicket haul equally backed up by fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s two that resulted in India script an comfortable 41-run victory in the end at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday under flood lights. The same came at the backdrop of the disciplined efforts of India's pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the initial phase of the innings wherein they took three quick wickets to dent the host top-order while defending a competitive score of 213 in a rain marred match and put in to shade the efforts of Player of the Match all-round efforts Dunith Wellalage (42 n.o. and 5/40) after his team were bowled out for 172 in the 42nd over. Appropriately it was Kuldeep dismissal of tail ender Matheesha Pathirana (0) which was his 150 ODI wicket that ended the Sri Lankan 13 match winning streak in ODI’s achieved between June 2023 - Sept 2023.

Earlier a career best five-wicket haul by Sri Lankan 20-year old rookie left arm spinner Dunith and four wicket by part time off-spinner  Charith Asalanka saw India being bowled out for 213 in 49.1 overs after the visitors elected to bat first after winning the toss

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill for the second time in as many games provided a quick start against the defending champions. Skipper Dasun Shanaka's decision to introduce spin soon after the first mandatory power paid dividends as Dunith castled Shubman (19) with the very first ball of his opening spell. The U-19 world cupper later sent back previous match centurion Virat Kohli (3) and Indian skipper Rohit (53), who earlier scored his third fifty in as many matches in consecutive overs as India slumped to 91 for 3. On a comeback trail after a long injury, one of the star protagonists and centurion against Pakistan KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan rescued India with their 63 runs partnership for the fourth wicket, before the former was foxed by Dunith with a ball that gripped and gave a tame return catch to the bowler while checking his shot when on 39 and followed it up with the key wicket of Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya with the last ball of his 10-over spell for his maiden fifer. A well set Ishan (33) too fell soon after to Charith in between, as the off-spinner soon ran through the famed batting line up of the men in blue. Axar Patel (26) who came in for Shardul Thakur played a little cameo in the end, before being dismissed by mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the final over of the rain interrupted match.

Key Stats

For the 14th match in a row and fourth in the tournament Sri Lanka bowled out their opposition in ODIs, with their spinners grabbing all the 10 wickets. Incidentally it was the first time in ODI history that India has lost all their ten wickets to spin and also became the first one in the history of Asia Cup to do so.

Rohit become the second fastest Indian to score 10000 runs in ODIs, after Virat Kohli and became the leading batter to score maximum sixes (28) in Asia Cup, after he pulled one over deep mid-wicket off a short ball by Sri Lankan slinger pacer Matheesha Pathirana for his second of the innings.

The current Indian skipper Rohit along with the former captain Virat also became the fastest pair in world cricket to score 5,000 runs in ODIs in 86 innings inclusive of in 86 innings 18 century partnerships and 15 half-century at a staggering average of 62.47. They went past the West Indies' openers Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes in the process who reached the milestone in 97 innings.

Brief scores (Super 4): India – 213 all out in 49.1 Overs (Rohit Sharma 53 (48b: 7x4s, 2x6s), KL Rahul 39 (44b: 2x4s), Ishan Kishan 33 (61b: 1x4s, 1x6s), Axar Patel 26 (36b: 1x6), Extras 21 (WD 20, LB 1); Dunith Wellalage 5/40, Charith Asalanka 4/18) beat Sri Lanka – 172 all out in 41.3 Overs (Dunith Wellalage 42* (46b: 3x4s, 1x6), Dhananjaya de Silva 41 (66b: 5x5s, 1x6), Charith Asalanka 22 (35b: 2x4s); Kuldeep Yadav 4/43, Jasprit Bumrah 2/30, Ravindra Jadeja 2/33, Hardik Pandya 1/14, Mohammed Siraj 1/17) by 41 runs. Player of the Match: Dunith Wellalage (Sri Lanka).