Asia Cup Final 2023: India with Stunning Start, Siraj Takes 5 Wickets (Image: BCCI)
Asia Cup final 2023: Though the match was delayed by rain, the real storm struck when Muhammad Siraj descended to the pitch. Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill took the Indian team to the Asia Cup 2023 trophy after 5 years waiting. Hardik Pandya joined the party by sweeping out three crucial wickets and Sri Lankan team all out with just 50 runs.
It was an easy win for India.
India beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets with 263 balls in hand. India won its eighth Asia Cup and major trophy since 2018 Asia Cup. This win will be a stimulation for the team to face the World Cup matches. Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan nicely completed their job in 6.1 overs.
A magic spell by Siraj, Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, blown Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is bowled out for 50 and this match is going to be an eye opener. India started off the game by bringing down Sri Lanka to their knees in just the first six overs of the match. Muhammad Siraj was exploding with high energy today on the field.
Jasprit Bumrah started off with a wicket off the third ball which was later joined by Siraj. They both have fantastically blown off the battling line-up of the opposition team Sri Lanka by taking seven of their wickets. Siraj was not ready to stop, he came back and dismissed Sri Lanka”s captain Dasun Shanaka. Siraj completed his five wicket haul in his third over. Then he cleaned up Kusal Mendis to get his his sixth wicket.
Sri Lanka came up with one change in the team, off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana is replaced legspinner Dushan Hemantha, as Theekshana has been injured during their Super four match against Pakistan.For India, Washignton Sundar is in for Axar Patel, while Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj, who missed the last match against Bangladesh are back too.
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to go with batting. But unfortunately, it seems the frontline is now getting knocked out by a mix of young players and experienced part-timers. Sri Lanka is now at a difficult position. Any chance for the Sri Lankan”s to win the match is blown out just minutes after the start of the game.
Both the teams are badly effected by the injuries, mostly for Sri Lanka. India lost Axar Patel for this match and possibly he will not be present in the upcoming series against Australia.
The match was delayed for 40 minutes due to rain. India won against Sri Lanka by 41 runs last time when they met in the Super4 stage of this tournament.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk/vc), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dasun Shanaka (c), Charith Asalanka, Dushan Hemantha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Pramod Madushan
