Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has lauded India's cricket team for their ruthless performance, stating that this "dominance" would persist throughout the World Cup following India's record-breaking 302-run victory over Sri Lanka.
Akhtar expressed his delight as Mohammed Shami secured his second five-wicket haul in the tournament, achieving his best bowling figures (5/18) against Sri Lanka. The seasoned right-arm pacer also surpassed the World Cup wicket tally of both Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, making him India's highest wicket-taker in World Cup history, amassing 45 wickets in just 14 matches.
Shami stands out with the most impressive statistics among all bowlers with over 30 World Cup wickets, boasting a remarkable average of 12.29 and an outstanding strike rate of 15.75.
Akhtar couldn't help but praise the transformation of the Indian team, emphasizing their ruthlessness. He went on to encourage Indian cricket enthusiasts to celebrate their fast bowlers who have shown remarkable performance. The crowd at the Wankhede Stadium was evidently thrilled with every delivery during the match.
"India is becoming a ruthless side from this point the onslaught cannot be stopped but my request to Indians is to start celebrating your fast bowlers because everyone was happy and there was a lot of noise on each delivery at the Wankhede Stadium," Akhtar said in a video posted on X.
Sharing his sentiments about Shami, Akhtar remarked, "I am personally delighted for Shami; he has rediscovered his form and has now taken a total of 45 World Cup wickets."
In the face of a daunting target of 358 runs, Sri Lanka crumbled, managing only 55 runs in 19.4 overs, largely due to the exceptional performance of India's pacers, who claimed 9 wickets.
Mohammad Siraj delivered figures of 3/15, while Jasprit Bumrah, who dismissed Pathum Nissanka with the very first ball of Sri Lanka's chase, returned figures of 1/8.
Akhtar couldn't help but praise the performance of Siraj and Bumrah, noting, "Siraj is running, Bumrah is lethal he is giving them comfort to both of them to bowl freely."
The defeat marked the third time this year that Sri Lanka had been bowled out for less than 100 runs in ODIs against India. India, led by Rohit Sharma, became the first team to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup. Their next challenge awaits as they face South Africa at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
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