India's fast bowlers, including the formidable trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, and Mohammad Shami, unleashed a devastating onslaught in the opening over of their spells against Sri Lanka. This remarkable feat saw Bumrah and Siraj etching their names in the annals of cricket history by becoming the first-ever opening pair to take wickets with their very first deliveries.
Bumrah initiated the onslaught by dismissing Pathum Nissanka on his very first ball. He executed a textbook LBW (leg before wicket) delivery that swung back in sharply, striking Nissanka's back pad and sending him back to the pavilion without a single run to his name, the infamous "golden duck."
Following suit, Siraj displayed his prowess as he trapped Dimuth Karunaratne with an LBW dismissal on his debut delivery, also inflicting a golden duck upon the Sri Lankan opener. His delivery, angling away from the batter, eluded the edge and found its mark, catching Karunaratne plumb in front of the stumps. The batter sought a review, but the on-field umpire's decision remained unaltered.
Siraj continued his rampage by securing his second wicket of the over. Sadeera Samarawickrama was lured into chasing a wide delivery and ended up edging it to Shreyas Iyer at third slip, further compounding Sri Lanka's woes.
Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka's skipper, became Siraj's next victim, falling to an inswinging delivery that clipped the top of his off-stump. It was a dream start for Siraj, who had the Sri Lankan top order in tatters.
Not to be outdone, Mohammad Shami joined the party, claiming two wickets in his first over. He dismissed Charith Asalanka, who attempted to cut a short and wide delivery, only to find Ravindra Jadeja at backward point. Shami continued his spectacular run, removing Dushan Hemantha with a well-pitched ball outside off, which was promptly taken by KL Rahul behind the stumps. This unfortunate event marked the third Sri Lankan batter to depart for a golden duck.
Shami completed his hat-trick of wickets, this time with the assistance of the Decision Review System (DRS). Ultra-edge technology revealed that Dushmantha Chameera had gloved a delivery down the leg-side, providing KL Rahul with another dismissal to his name. Sri Lanka found themselves reeling at 22/7, and their batting order lay in shambles.
This breathtaking exhibition of pace bowling occurred on a pitch that traditionally favored the batsmen after the initial phase. The Indian pacers left the Sri Lankan batters bewildered, who, regrettably, displayed a lack of patience and discernment by chasing deliveries that they should have left untouched. This day will undoubtedly be remembered as a testament to India's formidable pace attack.
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