File image of Indian cricket team stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli© AFP
Sunday brought in great news for the Indian cricket team. The Rohit Sharma-led side put up clinical show to win the Asia Cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka in Colombo by 10 wickets. A fairytale spell from Mohammed Siraj skittled through the Sri Lankan batting order on Sunday in the final of the Asia Cup. The 29-year-old pacer made history, not just for himself but for the country. Siraj became the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in an over in men’s internationals. He is the joint fastest to take 5 wickets in a match, but most importantly his performance helped India win the Asia cup for a record 8th time.
However, after the match, a rather funny thing apparently happened with the captain of the team – Rohit Sharma. He reportedly forgot his passport in the team hotel in Colombo, as the rest of the members waited for the bus to depart for the airport to return to India. Finally, a support staff of the Indian team got the passport back for Rohit.
The incident reminded social media of what Virat Kohli had said on Breakfast With Champions. In an episode of the talk show, Kohli had said: “Rohit often forgets things like ipads etc. Once or twice he has even forgot his passport. The logistical manager has now started to check whether Rohit has brought everything and only then the team bus departs”. It seems something similar might have happened on Sunday.
After speedster Mohammed Siraj’s fiery spell decimated Sri Lanka, the opening duo of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan scored a flawless fifty-run partnership as India won the Asia Cup for the eighth time.
Leading India’s fast bowling attack, Siraj ran through the Sri Lanka top-order in a dazzling performance in the summit clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.
It took a little more than two hours for India to lift the trophy in style. Sri Lanka fans were stunned into silence by their team’s performance. The Men in Blue lifted the Asia Cup trophy after five years.
Siraj had a dream spell as the entire Sri Lanka team was back in pavilion in 15.2 overs for 50 runs. Siraj took six wickets in seven overs, his best performance in ODIs.
Needing just 51 runs, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan made no mistakes and started with back-to-back boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana‘s over.
In the third over of the game, Gill sliced three successive boundaries off Pramod Madushan, taking India’s total to 32/0.
On the first delivery of 7th over, Kishan took a single and took India home with an assertive 10-wicket victory.
Jasprit Bumrah set the tone of the game by making his impact on the third ball of his first over.
Siraj followed it up with a maiden over to lay the perfect platform for a spell that left the entire stadium awe-struck.
On the first ball of his second over, Siraj sent back Pathum Nissanka for 2. The second ball clicked 143 kmph and Samarawickrama decided to play it safe.
The third delivery, however, swung sharply back into the right-handed batter, pinned his legs right in front of the stumps and sent him back for a two-ball duck.
Sri Lanka’s match-winner against Pakistan, Charith Asalanka stepped in to keep Sri Lanka’s innings from falling apart.
Siraj baited him and lured him to play the drive shot. Asalanka took the bait and the ball went straight to Ishan Kishan at covers.
With hat-trick on his mind, Siraj once again tried to go for the inswinging delivery to the newcomer Dhananjaya de Silva. A gentle push on the vacant side of the field sent the ball for a four.
The pacer came back on the next delivery, found a faint edge and carried comfortably in the gloves of Rahul.
Siraj completed an over in which he took four wickets, something rare in ODI cricket and more so in a title match.
However, he wasn’t done yet, nor was his ‘Sui’ celebration. He shattered the stumps completely beating skipper Dausn Shanaka and sending him for a duck.
This was the first time India took six wickets in the first 10 overs in an ODI match.
with ANI inputs
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