India qualify for semis after crushing 302-run win over Sri Lanka

India registered the second biggest victory (in terms of runs) in World Cup history, hammering Sri Lanka by 302 runs after bowling out the islanders for a paltry 55 in 19.4 overs in an ICC World Cup league match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. The win helped India become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.

Rohit Sharma’s boys are on top of the points table with 14 points, earned from seven wins in seven matches.

After their batsmen had scored 357/8 in the allotted 50 overs, the Indian pace bowlers comprising Mohammed Shami (5/18), Mohammed Siraj (3/16) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/8) skittled out the Sri Lankans, who looked clueless against the movement and searing pace delivered by the bowlers.

Bumrah took a wicket on the first ball of the innings, having Pathum Nissanka leg-before the wicket, before Siraj removed Dimuth Karunaratne (0) in similar manner and Sadeera Samarawickrama (0) caught at slip in the innings’ second over.

Siraj then had Sri Lanka’s main batsman, Kusal Mendis, bowled with one that moved and beat the outside edge to hit the top of off-stump.

Then Shami came into the attack and had Charith Asalanka (1) and Dushan Hemantha (0) caught in his first over, the former giving a catch to point and the latter caught behind. In the next two overs, he removed Dushmantha Chameera (caught behind) for a duck and Angelo Mathews (bowled) for 12.

A small 20-run partnership between Kasun Rajitha (14) and Maheesh Theekshana (12 not out) saw Sri Lanka go past the World Cup’s lowest total of Canada (36, which incidentally came against Sri Lanka in 2003) before the innings ended with Ravindra Jadeja taking the wicket of No. 11 Dilshan Madushanka.

Australia hold the record for biggest margin (309 runs) in World Cup, which they achieved on October 25 at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds against Netherlands.

Shami has now joined Mitchell Starc as the bowler with most five-wicket hauls, three across editions, and also became the highest wicket-taker for India in World Cup history with 45. Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath held the previous record with 44 wickets.

Earlier, Shubman Gill (92 off 92 balls), Virat Kohli (88 off 94 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (82 off 56 balls) had helped take India to their eventual total of 357/8 after the early loss of skipper Rohit Sharma, who was bowled on the second ball.

Both Kohli and Gill survived chances, as they were dropped early, but made the most of it by adding 189 runs for the second wicket. Iyer stayed almost till the end and took the team beyond 300. Jadeja scored 35 off 24 balls.

Shami was declared Player of the Match.