There are teams that win cricket matches. And there are teams that decimate the opposition. India put up a display of the second variety against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday to seal their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
It was difficult to believe at times that they were playing against the side they had met in a World Cup final at the same venue in 2011. Those two teams were evenly matched. This 302-run win where Sri Lanka sank to 55 all out was a no-contest.
Had this been a bout of boxing, the referee would have stopped it before the power play was over. Sri Lanka first took some heavy pounding when they were bowling. They were impressive in the beginning, but lost the plot after Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill took charge. Then came an astonishing bowling performance from India. The hapless Sri Lankans were gone before they knew what hit them.
Mohammed Siraj renewed his rivalry with the islanders with an impeccable opening burst. It was fast and furious, quite like his performance against the same team when India last played them, in the Asia Cup final about a month ago. The ball calling the shots on a pitch where 357 runs were made batting first was a stunning sight. It was top-quality stuff from both ends, with Jasprit Bumrah leaving no room for respite.
And the attack was relentless. Mohammed Shami once again showed that he did not like being benched in the first few matches. Fourteen wickets in three outings on Indian pitches for a fast bowler is unheard of. But he ran in with purpose, bowled with zest and brought out all his skills. A bowler becoming Player of the Match after his team makes 350-plus is rare. And this haul of 5-18 was special enough to merit that award. In the process, he also became India’s highest wicket-taker in World Cup (45 from 14 matches), surpassing Zaheer Khan (44 from 23) and Javagal Srinath (44 from 33).
There were many more boxes that the Indians ticked. Gill got a big score and Shreyas Iyer came good at a crucial time. That was very assuring from the team’s point of view. With Rohit Sharma and Kohli doing the bulk of the scoring so far, it was important that others contributed. Gill’s run-a-ball 92 and Iyer’s maverick 56-ball 82 with six sixes were just what the doctor ordered. Both of them were a bit iffy in the previous outings and failed to convert starts. This was their day.
Not to be left behind, Kohli made 88. The much awaited 49th ODI century did not come, but the team will not mind that. He came out to bat when the Sri Lankan bowlers were getting some movement off the pitch. It was important not to lose another wicket after Rohit’s first-over dismissal. Kohli stabilised the innings and helped the team gain momentum. That 189-run partnership with Gill set India up.
It’s still early to predict what will happen over the next 17 days, and India have a tough match coming up against South Africa. But the way this team is performing, with everybody chipping in while batting and bowling, all opponents will be wary of the Men in Blue. Who faces them in the semi-final is not clear yet. What is clear, however, is that every team will want to avoid them.