In the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, India secured a 41-run victory over Sri Lanka. The hosts, in pursuit of a target of 214 runs at the Premadasa Stadium, were bowled out for 173 runs.
Once again, the standout performer for India in this match was left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed four wickets. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also played a pivotal role, scoring a half-century to ensure his team posted a competitive total.
Sri Lanka faced a challenging start in their chase, with their top-order batsmen struggling against the Indian bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Although Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage formed a 50-run partnership, it was Ravindra Jadeja who dismissed Silva at mid-on, reducing Sri Lanka’s hopes.
With this victory, India secured a place in the final, while Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in a do-or-die contest on Thursday.
India’s batting lineup faced difficulties against Sri Lanka, particularly due to Dunith Wellalage’s impressive performance, as he took five crucial wickets in the match.
The first batter to fall victim to left-arm spinner Wellalage was Shubman Gill, and from there on, the Indian batting lineup struggled against his deliveries.
In Colombo, India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super Four clash on Tuesday. India had previously dominated arch-rivals Pakistan with a 228-run victory in a match that spanned two days due to rain, and they were now heading into their third consecutive day of cricket.
India made a single change, bringing in left-arm spinner Axar Patel in place of Shardul Thakur for the match. Sri Lanka, led by Dasun Shanaka, retained the same lineup from their previous win over Bangladesh in their first Super Four match.
