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Asia Cup 2023: India clinches finals spot with gritty victory over Sri Lanka; Post-match comments

Despite India's victory, the performance of Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage, both as a bowler and a batsman, was commendable.

By Omar | Sep 13, 2023 | 2 Min Read

India secured their place in the Asia Cup 2023 final with a hard-fought win, defeating Sri Lanka by 41 runs and breaking Sri Lanka’s 13-match winning streak. Kuldeep Yadav played a pivotal role with the ball, reaching a milestone of 150 ODI wickets. Despite India’s victory, the performance of Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage, both as a bowler and a batsman, was commendable.

Opting to bat first, India saw a strong start from Captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, but Wellalage’s left-arm spin dramatically altered the course of the match. Wellalage claimed crucial wickets, including Rohit and Virat Kohli. KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan stabilised India’s innings with a partnership of 63 runs. Wellalage’s impressive bowling performance continued, and Charith Asalanka added to India’s struggles. Wellalage achieved a remarkable five-wicket haul, while Asalanka contributed with four wickets. India faced a batting collapse, finishing at 213, with all 10 wickets falling to spinners.

Chasing 214 on a challenging pitch, Sri Lanka faced early setbacks, losing their top three batsmen quickly. Jaspirt Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj impressed with their new ball skills. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka attempted to rebuild, but Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul struck to remove them. Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage forged a partnership, but once broken by Ravindra Jadeja, India regained control. Sri Lanka was eventually bowled out for 172, with Kuldeep Yadav taking four wickets.

Kuldeep Yadav ended with figures of 4/43, while Jadeja contributed with 2/33. Bumrah, Siraj, and Pandya also made valuable contributions with the ball. With this victory, India advanced to the final, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka would battle for the remaining spot in a knockout match. Bangladesh was eliminated from the tournament after Kuldeep Yadav’s crucial breakthrough.”