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It’s the last group stage match of this 2019 ICC World Cup for both Sri Lanka and India at Headingley today.
While the Lankans are already out of the tournament, India have a lot riding on the result of this match as it will decide where they finish in the points table. Currently second behind Australia, if India win this game, they could finish at 15 points.
However, there is the matter of the game between Australia and South Africa. If Australia win, they take the outright lead in the standings and finish with 16 points. If they lose and India win, then it’s Virat Kohli’s team that finish on top.
Why does it matter who finishes on top?
Because the semi-final line-up is the first placed team against the fourth and the second-placed team against the third. So the top team plays New Zealand on Tuesday and the second-placed team plays England on Thursday.
On the eve of the match against Sri Lanka, Dinesh Karthik came for the pre-match press conference and talked about his place in the batting order.
Karthik replaced Kedar Jadhav in the game against Bangladesh, his World Cup debut, having first got the taste of international cricket back in 2004.
Sri Lankan skipper Karunaratne has won the toss and elected to bat first against India. Virat Kohli says he too would've chosen to bat first.
2 changes in the Indian XI - Yuzvendra Chahal is rested for left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja makes his first appearance in this World Cup for fast bowler Mohammed Shami.
Sri Lanka made one change after beating the West Indies by 23 runs on Monday in Chester-le-Street. Veteran allrounder Thisara Perera is in for Jeffrey Vandersay.
Conditions are dry but cloudy overhead.
Sri Lanka XI: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Kasun Rajitha.
India XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (captain), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
Sri Lankan openers Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunaratne start the innings and it’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar who’s been given the ball for the first over.
The third ball goes for a boundary and that’s 5 runs from the over.
Sri Lanka 5/0 after 1 over
Sri Lankan skipper Karunaratne is walking back to the pavilion on 10. No surprises on who the bowler is. Yes, Jasprit Bumrah has struck in the fourth over.
This is also the young bowler’s 100th ODI wicket and his 15th of this World Cup.
Bumrah's ODI wickets have come at an average of 22, the best rate of anyone to take more than 20 wickets for India.
Sri Lanka 17/1 in 3.4 overs
First ball of the fifth over and Kusal Perera hits one high down the ground and it’s a chance for India to make it 19/2 but Pandya and Kuldeep don’t call for the ball and end up colliding… one microsecond after the ball touches Kuldeep’s outstretched fingers and falls to the ground.
Couldve been Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first wicket.
Sri Lanka 19/1 after 4.1 overs
Sri Lanka are 28/1 after 5 overs and all the runs have come off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s overs. He’s conceded 5 boundaries in his 3 overs so far.
Sri Lanka 28/1 after 5 overs
Fourth ball of the 6th over and Bumrah goes up to appeal for an lbw on Avishka Fernando. The on-field umpire raises his finger.
Sri Lanka wait a bit but eventually as for a DRA review.
Replays show the ball was missing the top of the stumps. Fernando stays.
Sri Lanka 33/1 after 6 overs.
Bumrah has his second wicket in the 8th over!
His delivery catches the inside edge of Kusal Perera’s bat and the he’s walking. MS Dhoni, of course, isn’t dropping this sitter.
Perera out on 18.
Bumrah’s conceded just 5 runs his 19 deliveries so far.
Sri Lanka 40/2 in 7.1 overs
Virat throws the ball to Hardik Pandya for the 10th over and the all-rounder concedes 2 runs.
Sri Lanka are 52/2 after 10 overs. This is the most runs India has conceded in the first 10 overs of this World Cup.
4th ball of the 11th over Kusal Mendis is caught wayy outside his crease by a Ravindra Jadeja delivery. MS Dhoni calmly collects the ball and dislodges the infamous bails.
That’s Sri Lanka’s third wicket.
Sri Lanka 54/3 after 11 overs
Hardik Pandya joins the party!
A slower one and Fernando leans back but is unable to avoid connecting with the ball. MS Dhoni has to lean forward to his left but picks it up right before it lands on the ground.
That’s the fourth wicket already and we’re just in the 12th over. Also, all four wickets with an MS Dhoni involvement.
Sri Lanka 55/4 after 11.4 overs
Jadeja and Pandya have slowed things down as Sri Lanka have managed just 8 runs in the last 4 overs since Fernando’s wicket.
Sri Lanka 62/4 after 15 overs
Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne bring up their 50-run stand off 86 balls. They’re being cautious, not too many big shots, but the duo have definitely managed to steady Sri Lanka’s ship.
Sri Lanka 105/4 after 25.5 overs
We’re 30 overs into the game and things have started to look much better for the Sri Lankans, who had won the toss and opted to bat.
From 55/4 in 11.4 overs, Mathews and Thirimanne have helped Sri Lanka post 127/4 at the end of 30 overs. The two are set at the crease and the Indian camp would want to get them out at the soonest so as to restrict their opponent’s to a small total.
Sri Lanka 127/4 after 30 overs
Angelo Mathews brings up his half-century off 76 balls, his 39th fifty in ODIs.
Sri Lanka were in trouble, and the senior player has stepped up and stabilised their innings. And it’s time for drinks.
Bangladesh 144/4 after 33 overs
While India and Australia play out their games today to decide who plays which semi-final, England’s skipper Eoin Morgan’s using his off time to catch up on some tennis.
England will play the second-placed team at Birmingham on Thursday.
Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews’ partnership has crossed the 100-run mark and the 4th wicket partnership is making sure they get a solid enough total to defend.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar not having the best of days today as he concedes 2 boundaries and goes for 10 runs in the 35 over making it 52 runs from his 7 overs so far.
Sri Lanka 159/4 in 36 overs
Kuldeep Yadav breaks the big 124-run partnership and Thirimanne is walking back to the dressing room. Caught by Ravindra Jadeja, he’s out on 53.
Sri Lanka 179/5 in 37.5 overs
Dhananjaya de Silva has joined Mathews out in the middle after Thrimanne’s wicket and the run rate has actually climbed.
It was 4.78 when the wicket fell and now after 42 overs, it’s climbed to 5.04.
Sri Lanka 212/5 after 42 overs
Two fours off the 44th over bowled by Hardik Pandya and former Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews has scored 3rd ODI century. And what a good time to get it!
He walked into bat when the team was in trouble at 54/3 after 11 overs and Mathews has utilised just 116 balls to get to the 100-run mark.
Sri Lanka 227/5 after 44 overs
India keeping the bowling tight in the death overs.
Bhuvneshwar concedes 6 runs in the 45th over. Pandya gives 7 in the 46th. Pandya serves two crazy yorkers and limits it to just 4 runs in the 47th over.
The 48th is bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and his 9th over goes for 8 runs, including a boundary by Angelo Mathews. He’s been expensive today, 66 runs so far today.
Sri Lanka 252/2 in 48 overs
And of course Jasprit Bumrah goes one-up on the Lankans!
Second ball of the 49th over and Angelo Mathews is caught at cover by Rohit Sharma. A good knee-height catch by the vice-captain as Mathews walks back on 113.
Sri Lanka 252/6 in 48.1 overs
Bhuvi or Shami? Well, Virat clearly is looking for the answers as he hands the ball for the final over to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The second delivery is a wide and so is the third. On the third attempt at the second ball, Bhuvi gets a wicket! Thisara Perera is out on 2, also courtesy a brilliant diving catch from Hardik Pandya.
7 runs and 1 wicket from the final over of the innings, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Sri Lanka have managed to get 264 runs on the board.
Enough though?
And we’re back with run chase! Openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are at the crease, and Lasith Malinga is opening the bowling for Sri Lanka.
Three beautiful boundaries in the third over, two by KL Rahul and one by Rohit Sharma, as India end the third over at 27/0.
Good start by the openers. Both batting like they plan to stay at the crease today.
India 27/0 after 3 overs
Rohit Sharma hits his Mumbai Indians teammate Lasith Malinga for back-to-back boundaries in the 5th over. A Sri Lanka great, but Malinga doesn’t have the greatest of records against the Indians. 11 runs come off that 5th over.
India 39/0 after 5 overs
India are off to a flyer courtesy Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. The openers help India cross the 50-run mark in 7 overs. Between the two batsmen, the Sri Lankan bowlers have already been hit for 9 boundaries.
India 51/1 after 7 overs
That’s the end of Poweplay 1, and the Indian openers have added 59 runs in the first 10 overs.
Rohit Sharma is unbeaten at 31 (off 25 balls), having hit 6 boundaries so far. KL Rahul on the other hand has added 27 off 35 deliveries which included four fours.
Malinga and Rajitha have given away 29 runs each in the 5 overs they’ve bowled so far.
India 59/0 after 10 overs
An unlikely quiet over from India’s perspective. Thisara Perera cramping both Rohit and Rahul. The duo manages only 2 runs in the over.
India 79/0 after 14 overs
An expensive first over from Dhananjaya de Silva. Rohit Sharma takes him to the cleaners, hitting two sixes in the over. In the process, he brings up his fifty.
Rohit launches into the first delivery of the over as hits up a tossed up delivery over extra-cover. One ball later, he hits one down the ground over the bowlers head.
India 97/0 after 17 overs
The duo bring up their third century partnership of the competition. Out of the 100 runs, Rohit has scored 61 while Rahul chipped in with 38.
After Dhawan’s departure, Rahul has held the fort well at the top of the innings. He has had scores of 57, 30, 48, 0 and 77 in five innings. Hope he carries on his form to the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, Rohit is playing the way only he can. He has already notched up four centuries in this edition and looks good for another one against Sri Lanka.
India 103/0 after 19 overs
It looks like Rahul has decided to step on the pedal. The Karnataka opener smashed two fours and a six off Dhananjaya de Silva. With the first four he brings up his third half-century of the tournament.
For his first four, he slapped a bad ball between cover point and extra-cover. The very next ball he goes inside out to hit the ball for a six over long-off. He finishes the over with an inside-out lofted drive goes over extra-cover.
De Silva gives 17 runs in his over.
India 137/0 after 23 overs
Looks like the opening duo are in a hurry to finish the game. Both Rahul and Rohit have made their intentions clear.
After Malinga went for 11 runs in the previous over, Rohit milked Udana for two boundaries in the over to finish with 8 runs.
India 160/0 after 26 overs
Rohit Sharma hit a boundary off Kasun Rajitha’s over to bring up his fifth century of the World Cup and 27th ODI hundred in all.
With this ton Rohit equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six centuries in World Cups but became the first cricketer to score five hundreds in a single edition of a World Cup.
This is Rohit Sharma’s third consecutive century in this edition of the World Cup. In his previous two matches, he scored a 102 vs England, 104 vs Bangladesh. Prior to that, he scored two centuries against South Africa and Pakistan.
In the opening match for his side in the World Cup Rohit scored a 122 not out. Later, against Pakistan he put up 140.
Soft dismissal in the end for Rohit Sharma! The opener fails to pick up a slower ball from Rajitha. He checks his shot at the last moment only to drive it straight into the hand of Angelo Mathews at mid-off.
India 189/1 after 30.1 overs
In the last five overs, India have scored 23 runs. Virat Kohli playing the waiting game and only dispatching the bad balls to the boundary. Meanwhile, Rahul not taking any chances as he looks to score his first ton of the competition.
India 214/1 after 36 overs
Finally, after two half centuries, Rahul managed to convert the one against Sri Lanka into a big score. This is his first century in a World Cup match.
Earlier, he scored a hundred against Bangladesh during the warm-up matches, which cemented his place in the playing XI for the World Cup.
Rahul reached his 100 off 110 deliveries, which included 9 fours and 1 six
India 230/1 after 39 overs
Late breakthrough for Sri Lanka! A short ball from Malinga, fails to rise, but follows Rahul to take the faintest of edges through to the keeper. India need only 21 runs to wins.
India 244/2 after 41 overs
India finish the group stage in the most convincing manner, defeat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets.
Openers Rohit Sharma (103) and KL Rahul (111) scored centuries as Virat Kohli took the side home with a 34 not out. For Sri Lanka, none of the bowlers made a mark as they were expensive. Malinga, Rajitha & Udana took one wicket each.
With this win India finish with 15 points from 9 matches with 8 wins. But they need to wait for the match going on between South Africa vs Australia to see whom they are going to face in the semi-finals.
India 265/3 after 43.3 overs
KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma became the first opening pair to post partnerships of 150 runs or more in consecutive World Cup matches. They followed up their 180-run stand against Bangladesh with a 189-run partnership against Sri Lanka.
Rahul and Rohit's partnership against Sri Lanka on Saturday would become India's highest opening stand in World Cup matches.
“Not thinking about all these kind of milestones. I know if I play well all these things will happen along the way. My job is to keep my head straight and get my team to the finishing line. The shot selection becomes important once you are in. I have to keep telling myself on what sort of shots I can play on that pitch and what sort of bowlers are bowling to me. I try and calculate how I want to go forward based on that. It has paid dividends so far. There has to be some discipline as well in your batting and I have learned that from my past,” said Rohit Sharma after the match.
“ Malinga has been a champion bowler for Sri Lanka and then for Mumbai Indians. I have had a great time playing with him. He is definitely a match-winner. He has shown it over the years how the teams rely on him. I have seen him in close quarters and the cricket world will miss him. As a team we are not thinking about that (Aus-SA game). We have had a great victory today and we want to celebrate that rather than thinking about what is going on there. Whatever opposition comes our way we will put up a show.”
“We wanted to play good cricket. To be honest, we didn't expect this kind of scoreline heading into the semis. But that's what consistent performances and hard work get you. Really proud and happy of our team. Most amazing team to be a part of. It is a really honour to play for India. More or less everything is set. But we don't want to be one dimensional, I think the team that is more flexible on the day has more chances of executing what they want to.”
Englishman Ian Gould brought down curtains on his umpiring career after officiating for the last time during India's clash with Sri Lanka at the ongoing World Cup at Headingley.
Gould finished his career having umpired in 74 Tests, while the India vs Sri Lanka match here is his 140th ODI.
“The opposition has never mattered. We don't focus on what the opposition brings to the table. If we don't play well anyone can beat us and if we play well we can beat anyone. The focus has to be within and we are confident of our skill sets. We just want to go out there in the semifinal and express our skills and strengths as a team. So regardless of who we will play, we want to play good cricket and get the result our way.”
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