Mohammed Shami secured his second five-wicket haul in the ongoing ICC Men's ODI World Cup, with a remarkable performance of 5-18. His outstanding bowling effort aided India in dismissing Sri Lanka for a mere 55 runs, resulting in one of India's most significant ODI victories at the Wankhede Stadium.
Shami's figures stood at 5-1-18-5, elevating his overall World Cup wicket tally to 45, surpassing Zaheer Khan's record of 44 wickets in 23 matches. Remarkably, Shami reached this milestone in just 14 matches. His inclusion in the playing XI, replacing the injured Hardik Pandya, has proven highly beneficial, with Shami accumulating an impressive 14 wickets in just three matches.
In a remarkable déjà vu, India had previously bowled out Sri Lanka for a mere 50 runs during the 2023 Asia Cup final in Colombo. This time around, they managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 55 runs in 19.4 overs, securing a resounding victory by a margin of 302 runs.
While Shami claimed 5-18, Mohammad Siraj also delivered an exceptional performance with figures of 3-16. At one point, Sri Lanka found themselves at a perilous 22/7 after 12 overs, nearing a record low total.
Bumrah initiated the carnage by dismissing Pathum Nissanka for a golden duck, while Siraj followed suit by trapping Dimuth Karunaratne lbw with a brilliant delivery. Both Nissanka and Karunaratne unsuccessfully reviewed the on-field umpire's decisions.
Siraj's second over saw the dismissal of Kusal Mendis as he was bowled, and Shami continued the wicket-taking spree with two wickets in his very first over. Charith Asalanka and Dushan Hemantha fell victim to Shami's exceptional bowling, both departing without scoring a run.
Shami's third wicket came through the Decision Review System (DRS), confirming the dismissal of Dushmantha Chameera. The Indian pacers displayed exceptional skill and left the Sri Lankan batsmen struggling for answers. Sri Lankan batters made several ill-judged shot selections, chasing wide deliveries when they should have exercised more caution.
At 22/7 after 12 overs, Sri Lanka appeared on the brink of setting an undesirable record, the lowest all-out total in ODIs, which stands at 35. Angelo Mathews' dismissal at 29/8 in the 14th over further jeopardized their chances, but a resilient ninth-wicket partnership between Maheesh Theekshana (12 not out) and Kasun Rajitha (14) allowed Sri Lanka to surpass the 50-run mark, a modest consolation in an otherwise dismal batting performance.
Brief scores:
India 357/8 in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 92, Virat Kohli 88, Shreyas Iyer 82, Ravindra Jadeja 35; Madushanka 5-80)
Sri Lanka 55 all out in 19.4 overs (Kasun Rajitha 14; Mohd Shami 5-18, Siraj 3-16) by 302 runs.
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