Jadeja delivers to Shanaka, and he’s caught by Rohit! An excellent low catch as Jadeja makes an impact on his comeback. The ball is floated full outside off, Shanaka tries to push it away from his body, but it spins away, finding the outside edge. It’s a challenging chance for Rohit, but he dives to his right and takes it brilliantly with both hands held low.
Following India’s dismissal for a total of 213 runs, Jasprit Bumrah ignited the action with two rapid wickets, immediately placing Sri Lanka in a precarious position. Mohammed Siraj joined the fray, claiming his first wicket and pushing Sri Lanka to a perilous 25/3. Soon after, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka combined for a significant partnership of 43 runs, but Kuldeep Yadav disrupted their rhythm with two consecutive wickets in successive overs.
Adding to the excitement, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Captain Dasun Shanaka, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 99/6. This remarkable turn of events unfolded after Sri Lanka’s spin duo of Dunith Wellalage and Asalanka combined to take 9 wickets, playing a pivotal role in bowling out India for 213. Maheesh Theekshana also contributed with a wicket, marking the first instance in an ODI where Team India lost all 10 wickets to spin bowling.
In the India vs. Sri Lanka Asia Cup Super 4 match, India won the toss and chose to bat first under sunny conditions. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opened for India, with Rohit eventually becoming the second-fastest batter to reach 10,000 ODI runs, showcasing his skill with a sumptuous six over the bowler’s head. He also surpassed Shahid Afridi’s record for the most sixes in the Asia Cup.
In the 12th over, Wellalage dismissed Shubman Gill with his first ball of the match, marking India’s first wicket loss. Wellalage continued his brilliance by dismissing Virat Kohli, denying the former India captain a fifth consecutive century at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Moment of the year #ViratKohli #RohitSharma #ViratKohli𓃵 #RohitSharma𓃵 pic.twitter.com/74yAzeD2II
— Akshay Tripathi (@AkshayT79351315) September 13, 2023
Wellalage further dented India’s hopes by removing the well-set Rohit. KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan then adopted a patient approach during the spin overs, constructing a 50-run partnership. However, Wellalage returned to claim his fourth wicket, dismissing Rahul for 39 off 44 deliveries.
WHAT A CATCH BY THE GREATEST SLIP FIELDER CAPTAIN ROHIT SHARMA.
— Immy² (@BeingImRo45) September 12, 2023
DON'T MISS THE CELEBRATION OF ROHIT SHARMA AND VIRAT KOHLIpic.twitter.com/PDngwZKPNk
India’s innings unraveled swiftly after that, and Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj fought to keep the last wicket intact when rain interrupted the match after the 47th over. However, after adding a crucial 27-run partnership, the final wicket fell with just 5 balls remaining in the innings.