If there ever was an ideal start for Sri Lanka in ICC World Cup 2023, it came against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis raised a few eyebrows by opting to bowl after winning the toss on Thursday but left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka needed just two balls to back his captain. He bowled a dream delivery to clean up India captain Rohit Sharma for 4. Sri Lanka started off with an unusual field, targeting Rohit's pads with a catcher at short fine. The first delivery from Madushanka was bowled on the stumps but Rohit was able to flick it away from the fielding to get off the mark with a boundary.
Rohit was perhaps expecting a similar delivery in the next ball but Madushanka pulled a rabbit out of his hat. He decided to roll his fingers over the ball. Not often does a pacer resort to a cutter as early as the second ball of the match on a pitch that has decent carry. But Madushanka not only tried that but executed it perfectly.
India vs Sri Lanka Live Score World Cup 2023
The ball pitched around middle and leg. Rohit, expecting an in-dipper, kept his bat in the line of the ball but because it was an off-cutter, the ball went on with the angle and crashed into Rohit's off stump, sending it for a cartwheel.
Needless to say, the Wankhede crowd was stunned into silence. Rohit's wife, Ritika, who was sitting in the stands, had disbelief written all over her face. She even needed a bit of consoling from the person next to her.
{{/usCountry}}Needless to say, the Wankhede crowd was stunned into silence. Rohit's wife, Ritika, who was sitting in the stands, had disbelief written all over her face. She even needed a bit of consoling from the person next to her.
{{/usCountry}}One shouldn't blame the Wankhede crowd or Ritika. Rohit came into this match as India's top run-getter in this World Cup. Rohit has already scored a century and two half-centuries. He was the Player of the Match in India's win against England. His 87-run knock was described by many as one of his best in ODIs in recent times. But on Thursday, it wasn't to be. Rohit was done in by a beautiful delivery.
Watch the dismissal below:
India, the only unbeaten team in the tournament with six wins in as many games, decided to field an unchanged XI in this match. All-rounder Hardik Pandya is still nursing his ankle injury which means India don't have many options but to play an extra batter in Suryakumar Yadav and a pacer in Mohammed Shami. But both of them have been simply superb in the chances that they have got so far.
"I would have batted first," said Rohit. "It's a good pitch...Under lights, it will be nice for our seamers to bowl. It's a great honour to captain India at the World Cup (on a ground) where I've grown up playing. As a team, we thrive on getting better. Obviously, it's important for us to not get carried away and it's important to stay balanced."
Sri Lanka made one change from the side that suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Afghanistan, with leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha in for Dhananjaya de Silva. Mendis' men have lost four of their six games in the 10-team tournament.
"I think batting second is better than batting first. The players have done well in a couple of matches and are giving their best. It's a very important three games (coming up) for us," said Mendis.
India XI: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka