After defeating Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2023 Super Four opener, Virat Kohli interacted with the media. He stated that they were all test players prepared to play again the following day. The match took place in the garden of the hosts. Sri Lanka was riding the momentum of thirteen consecutive victories. Indian pacers and spinners performed admirably to secure a 41-run win at R. Premadasa Stadium.
Kuldeep Yadav now has 9 wickets to his name for 68 runs in 24 hours. This includes 4 wickets grabbed against the Lankan army at an economy of 4.53 in 9.3 overs. It was tricky for Rohit Sharma to ask him to complete his spell, considering Dunith was all set against their attack. Kasun was tasked with defending or shooting for a single.
The very first ball dropped a googly with no response from the opponent’s backfoot for a wicket. It was followed by a dot ball and then another wicket for Pathirana. The Indian skipper was primarily concerned with having Wellalage on strike. It involved risk because there was a chance of him returning to the hitting spot for more boundaries.
His near-half-century score drove him forward. With a deficit of 8 runs, he returns home with the Player of the Match award and hopes the result against Pakistan will be different.
Interestingly, Pakistan and India have not met in the Asia Cup final since its inception in 1984. It would be the first time that Babar Azam takes his team to lock horns with the seven-time winners—if, of course, they beat SL.
Whatever the outcome of their match against Bangladesh, Rahul Dravid’s ICT team will be in the final and will run the final lap of the tournament just days before the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
The contest against SL was a close one, with odds on legal cricket betting sites first favoring the visitors and then the hosts. They were closer to victory until Aravinda de Silva and Dunith stuck to their grounds. Jaedeja’s spell and Gill’s on-the-spot catch broke that partnership and brought the team back on track.
Since Axar Patel had begun to become a vulnerable target, options were limited. Moreover, they were accustomed to India’s spin attack on the grassy pitch. Patel is the only bowler without any wickets, and his economy rate of 5.80 is the highest. Courtesy Hardik Pandya, SL never really got a chance to continue building the chasing score.
Sri Lanka’s next match against Pakistan will take place on September 14, 2023, at 3 p.m. IST at the same venue. Although it is a Super Four event, one will be right to assume that it is a knockout match for both sides.
The next day, India will encounter Bangladesh at the same venue. Bangladesh has nothing to gain, and India has nothing to lose in this contest. It will still be an event worth watching because fans want to see if Indian players can live up to the reputation they have earned in the tournament.
