KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma both struck fantastic hundreds to power India to a seven-wicket win against Sri Lanka. Chasing a modest total, India got off to a flying start and never looked back as Rahul and Rohit ran amok with the bat. Sri Lanka never stood a chance. Earlier, Angelo Mathews scored his third ODI hundred to help Sri Lanka to a seemingly challenging score after Bumrah had left the team reeling by removing the top-order cheaply. India goes top of the points table; for how long we will find out after the Australia versus South Africa match is over.
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Hardik comes to the crease. Malinga to bowl out. His final over in a World Cup match. Pandya ends the over with a boundary. Just two needed now. Hardik takes a single and that's a convincing win for India.
Kohli welcomes Udana into the attack with a boundary. What a shot to open your account - drills this one straight down the ground for four. Nine off the over. Hang on, Sri Lanka reviews. For a lbw against Pant. What a review . Pant's gone.
Rahul is taking the attack into Malinga. Hits back-to-back fours. Malinga gets him with a nasty short ball... KL sways away but can't prevent the ball brushing the handle of his bat. A brilliant knock comes to an end. Rishabh Pant comes to the crease.
KL Rahul nearing his hundred. Moves to 97 with a brace off de Silva. And a single takes him to 98. India needs 44 runs in 78 balls. Rahul two away from his first World Cup hundred. He's batting on 99, is Rahul. Rahul gets there with a single - What a moment for the Bengaluru lad. Brings up his second ODI ton and first in the World Cup with a single off Malinga. Kohli puts the next ball away for four. India romping home. IND 230/1 after 39 overs. India need 35 runs in 66 balls
Perera back into the attack. Kohli is standing outside his crease. Two runs from the over. Rajitha continues. Rahul is looking in ominous touch - moves on to 87 with a pull shot for four. Seven runs from the over. IND 203/1 after 33 overs. India need 62 runs to win.
Udana continues. A relatively quiet over given how Rahul and Rohit have been batting. Just six from the over. Rahul 19 shy. GONE! Rohit has holed out. Rajitha gets the breakthrough. Virat Kohli in at 3. Kohli gets off the mark with a trademark cover-drive . IND 194/1 after 31 overs.
Kasun Rajitha is back into the attack. Huge roar around the stadium. Rohit on strike. Rohit on 98. TAKE A BOW ROHIT SHARMA ! No batsman has ever scored five hundreds in one edition until now. Rohit gets there with a boundary. Whaddaplayah. IND 183/0 after 29 overs.
Udana continues. Rohit on 96. He moves to 97 now with a single. Rahul, at the other end, is batting on 75. He's closing in on his 100 as well. That would be a massive shot in the arm for the Karnataka batsman who has got multiple starts this edition but is yet to make those count. IND 177/0 after 28 overs.
Malinga to Rahul. Starts with a wide. Another wide. Next ball, Rahul slams one to long-on for another boundary. India eating away at the deficit faster than I can type! Rohit joins the fun- drills it through extra cover to move to 94. Moves to 95 with a single next ball. IND 174/0 after 27 overs.
Udana to continue. Three dots but you can't keep him quiet for too long, can you? He plays a deft cut shot to deep backward point for four. Moves to 85. Edged and four! Udana finds the edge, at last but fortune favours the brave and the ball races away for four more. IND 160/0 after 26 overs. Ro's on 89.
Malinga back into the attack. Rahul pulls him square of the wicket for a couple. Another long hop and Rahul gets it away for four to fine-leg. Slinga's attempted yorker is dragged wide. Rohit brings up the 150 stand with a couple. 11 runs from the over. IND 152/0 after 25 overs.
Udana back into the attack. Rohit moves to 78 with three off the first three balls. Four runs from the over. Ro's 22 short of his fifth ODI hundred. India needs 124 runs.
Dhananjaya de Silva continues. Excellent shot from KL Rahul to bring up another fifty in this World Cup. This is his second in a row. He follows it up with a maximum and a four. 17 runs from that over. De Silva has leaked 40 in 4 overs. IND 137/0 after 23 overs.
Perera continues. Rohit hares back for a second. He wanted to guide the next ball to third-man but meets thin air. Collects a single to sweeper cover next ball. Rahul gets a double with yet another cut shot and ends the over with a single. IND 120/0 after 22 overs.
De Silva continues. He begins with the slider that beats Ro. Next ball's a dot too. But Rohit hits back with a pull shot for four. This one has been hammered to deep mid-wicket. The bowler pays the price for dropping short. IND 114/0 after 21 overs.
Rohit Sharma becomes the highest run-scorer in this edition with a fierce pull shot for four. He has gone past Shakib's 606... He has now 609 runs. Six runs from the over. Literally a record-breaking over that for Rohit and Perera. IND 109/0 after 20 overs. Perera so far: 5-0-18-0
De Silva to continue. Rohit Sharma tucks it to square leg for a single and brings up the 100-run stand. That's the third century partnership. A leg slip in place for KL. Rahul collects a couple. Just four runs from the over. IND 103/0 after 19 overs.
Perera continues. Rohit has gone past the 600-mark. He is four short of overtaking Shakib to become the highest run-scorer this edition. And Ro's also the fourth batsman after Shakib, Sachin and Hayden to rack up 600 runs in one edition. Two runs from the over. IND 99/0 after 18 overs.
De Silva into the attack. Rohit Sharma welcomes him with a six to long-off, brings up yet another fifty. Follows it up with an even more audacious hit for six. Expensive first over that. 14 runs coming off it and India are nearing 100. Rohit ddin't want the spinner to settle into any kind of rhythm. Well, he made sure of that all right. IND 97/0 after 17 overs.
Perera into his third over. Beaten! The first time today Rohit has been beaten, really. That one held its line outside off and whistled past Ro's edge. Only two runs from the over. IND 83/0 after 16 overs.
Udana to continue. Rohit takes a single to get off strike. He's batting on 45. So does Rahul, tucks it towards fine-leg for another single. Udana keeps Sharma on strike for the next four balls. IND 81/0 after 15 overs.
The second Powerplay has begun. Overs 11-40. Meanwhile, Perera has begun his second over. Again, Perera has found his length on this wicket. No width, around the good length and keeping the batters quiet. Just two runs from the over. IND 79/0 after 14 overs.
Udana continues. Starts on a good length, just outside the off stump and Rohit blocks with ease. Next ball is a slower ball, Rohit goes through with the shot - one handed, mind you and nearly gets a six. Four more. More importantly, Rohit and Rahul have rotated the strike more regularly today not allowing the bowlers to have a go at one batsman for more than two balls. IND 77/0 after 13 overs.
Thisara Perera comes into the attack. A dot followed by two singles. He has kept it around the good length area, has Perera. Rahul collects a brace to finish the over. Four singles and a couple from the over. IND 71/0 after 12 overs.
India needs another 200 to win.
Isuru Udana has been brought into the attack. He is welcomed with a cracking square cut from Rohit for just a single. Another square cut, this time from KL for a single. Glorious is the word. Rohit stands tall and dismisses a full delivery through the cover region for four. IND 65/0 after 11 overs.
Rajitha now begins his over with a slower ball. It's working for Sri Lanka at the moment. Both batsmen like the ball coming on to the bat. The wicket too will slow down as the day wears on. Two singles so far. Another single for Rohit. Innovation from Rahul: arches back and parries the ball over the keeper's head for four. IND 59/0 after 10 overs.
Malinga into his fifth over. He is taking pace off the ball. Starts the over with three slower deliveries. Four dots on the trot. Another short ball and Rahul sways out of the line. Maiden over that. IND 52/0 after 9 overs. So just one run coming off the last two overs.
Much better over from Rajitha. Five dots and a single from it. He got the ball to shape in late, getting movement off the deck. The pace was good with only one ball straying on the pads. IND 52/0 after 8 overs.
Malinga into his fourth over. Rohit has hit six fours in his innings of 28 so far. India's been cautious up front in this tournament so far but today they've adopted a different approach. Rohit takes a single to third-man to bring up the fifty partnership. IND 51/0 after 7 overs.
Rajitha continues. Length ball and Rohit carves it away for four, through sweeper cover. This is a blazing start from India. Three dots from Rajitha to end the over. The Men in Blue are running away with this. Rohit ends the over with yet another boundary to deep mid-wicket. Nine from the over. IND 48/0 after 6 overs.
Malinga begins his next over with a pacy short ball. KL's up for it - he pulls it for a single. Rohit and Malinga both play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. So, Rohit's having n trouble facing Slinga! He gives an evidence of the same with two successive boundaries. 11 from the over. IND 39/0 after 5 overs.
Rajitha continues. He needs to get his line right against the two batsmen, does Rajitha. Both players have come out with a positive mindset, especially KL who has looked impressive thus far. Good comeback. Just one run from the over. IND 28/0 after 4 overs.
Malinga to continue. Excellent shot from KL and he'll get four for it. He has absolutely drilled this through covers for four. One slip in place for Rahul. Another boundary - this time he just opens the face of the bat and pierces the gap between short third-man and cover point. Beautifully done by Rohit; brings those writs into play and flicks it away for four. 13 off the over. IND 27/0 after 3 overs.
Kasun Rajitha, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. Rohit punches one on the up for a couple. FOUR! Rohit gets his first four of the match, square of the wicket. Short of a good length and wide and Rohit's going to feed on those all day long. Rahul now: punches this slightly wide ball away for four... off the backfoot. IND 14/0 after 2 overs.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to begin the run chase. Lasith Malinga with the new ball. Two slips in place. KL gets off the mark with a single. Rohit, too, opens his account with a single. There's a hint of swing for Malinga. Getting the ball to shape away from the right-hander. IND 2/0 after 1 over.
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Angelo Mathews' 113 combined with Thirimanne's fifty has powered Sri Lanka to 264/7. Jasprit Bumrah once again starred with the ball, snapping up three wickets. Ravindra Jadeja, plying his first match in this World Cup, bowled a tight spell for one wicket - could've been two but for that drop. India needs 265 to win.
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GONE! Mathews holes out and it's that man, Bumrah, with the breakthrough again. Bumrah bowls out. 10-2-37-3. Bhuvi to bowl out . A wide ball and the batsmen steal a single. Another wide. GONE! Thisara Perera departs and that's gotto be a fielder's wicket: Hardik Pandya comes running in from long-off and pulls off a blinder. Seven runs from the over. SL 264/7 after 50 overs.
Bhuvi, Hardik and Bumrah bowl the 45th, 46th and 47th respectively with Hardik alone going for a boundary. Bumrah has been excellent at the death as always. Bhuvi returns into the attack. Mathews gets a bounday. That kind of a day for the UP seamer. The partnership between de Silva and Mathews is now 70. 250 comes up for Sri Lanka. SL 252/5 after 48 overs.
Mathews moves to 95 with a cracking pull shot for four off Hardik. NO BALL from Hardik. Free hit coming up with Mathews on 96. This time, he gets it away for four and the helmet comes off, arms aloft as Mathews celebrates reaching the three figure mark with a boundary. SL 227/5 after 44 overs.
Bumrah to continue. Only three singles from it. While others are getting tonked for runs, Bumrah continues to be economical with the ball. Meanwhile, Sanath Jayasuriya is in attendance at the stadium . Aravinda de Silva too!
Start of the final Powerplay. Bumrah returns into the attack. Just five off the over - more importantly, no boundary. Hardik is back into the attack. Seven off the over including a misfield from Dhoni behind the stumps which cost India four runs. Mathews batting on 89. SL 212/5 after 42 overs.
Kuldeep continues. Mathews in the eighties. A slip in place for the new batsman. Mathews, in the meantime, finishes the over with a reverse sweep for four. He's looking dangerous now, is Mathews. He moves to 85 with that boundary. SL 200/5 after 40 overs. 10 to go.
Ravindra Jadeja bowls out. Could've easily had a second wicket but for that drop. Was a brilliant spell nevertheless. Goes for 11 in his final over though with Mathews collecting a boundary and a six. Jadeja today: 10-0-40-1.
Kuldeep continues. India now under the pump. GONE! Thirimanne has holed out and Kuldeep has broken the nagging stand. He falls for 53. That one dipped and turned, outsmarting the batsman who was trying to go after the leggie. De Silva at the crease. SL 182/5 after 38 overs.
Jadeja back into the attack. Slip in place. DROPPED ! Bhuvneshwar Kumar has grassed an opportunity in the deep. Oh dear, he's not having a good day in the office. SIX! Mathews rubs salt in the wound, ends the over with a maximum. SL 177/4 after 37 overs.
Thirimanne now brings up his fifty with a boundary off Kuldeep. Sri Lanka upping the ante now. Another boundary; this time for Mathews. Runs coming thick and fast. 10 runs off it. So last two overs have gone for 20. India need a wicket from somewhere. SL 169/4 after 36 overs.
Kuldeep and Bhuvi in tandem. Kuldeep hasn't quite got going with the ball. Meanwhile, Mathews continues to attack Bhuvi. Virat brings him back into the attack and the former Lankan skipper lifts a full delivery over mid-off for four. Thirimanne joins the fun: brings up the 100-run partnership with a boundary to mid-wicket. 10 runs from it. SL 159/4 after 35 overs. Bhuvi so far: 7-0-52-0.
Hardik continues. Mathews moves to 49 with a single in front of square. He's troubling Thirimanne with the short ball is Hardik. Meanwhile, Mathews gets to his fifty with a single. Four runs from the over.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar into the attack. Glorious hit that from Thirimanne - uses his feet and hammers it through the gap for four. The Lankan batsmen have targeted Bhuvi. Mayank Agarwal is on the field. SL 140/4 after 32 overs.
Here comes Bumrah again. By the way, Bumrah now has 101 ODI dismissals to his name. Couple of braces and a single to go with a brute bouncer to end the over. Bumrah so far - 6-2-21-2. Mathews greets Hardik with a pull shot for four. Moves to 45. The veteran Mathews summoning all his experience here; putting a price on his wicket. Seven from it. SL 134/4 after 31.
Need a wicket? Kohli turns to Bumrah. A slip in place for India's pace sensation. Good over from BOOM. Two singles followed by four dots. Hardik Pandya continues. Four runs from is over. SL 122/4 after 29 overs.
Enough of spin, says Kohli. Hardik Pandya into the attack. Starts with a wide. Meanwhile, the two have brought up their 50-run partnership. Wonder if Pandya's becoming a little predictable with the short-ball strategy. Mathews collects a brace with a drive to deep extra cover. Single to end the over. SL 116/4 after 27 overs.
And here's Jadeja. Looks like he'll bowl out. Another tidy over. Just two from it. Kuldeep follows it up with a decent sixth - Mathews manages to put one away to sweeper cover for four. Seven runs from the over. SL 109/4 after 26 overs.
Jadeja again. Into his seventh over now. Still a slip in place. Three singles now. 7-0-19-1 so far. Kuldeep, meanwhile, is getting the ball to drift. Remember , it's a used wicket and is slightly on the slower side. The ball's gripping on the surface. Batting second may not be so simple after all. Four runs from the over. 100 up for Sri Lanka. SL 100/4 after 24 overs.
Kuldeep into his fourth. The partnership between the two is 32. Three dots from the leggie so far. He's giving the ball air, bowling slower too. This has been a good spell so far. SHOT! Thirimanne targets the deep mid-wicket fence and gets a boundary. SL 93/4 after 22 overs.
SHOT ! Mathews gets a boundary off Kuldeep. This one's hit square of the wicket for four. A loose delivery; real 'hit me' kind and Mathews obliges. Six runs off the over. Jadeja is racing through his spell. Six overs done. Four runs from that last over. SL 87/4 after 21 overs.
Kuldeep continues. India have the slip and leg-slip for Mathews. Thirimanne sweeps one away for a quick brace. A single to end the over. Six runs from it. Jadeja into his fifth over and he's yet to concede a boundary. Mathews collects three. SL 77/4 after 19 overs. Jadeja so far: 5-0-12-1
Jadeja will continue. So spin from both ends for India. Sri Lanka will be looking at at least 250-260. Anything less should be a walk in the park for this Indian batting line-up. Two singles and the third ball nearly goes through. He's hovering around the 90 kmph mark at the moment, is Jadeja. Leg-slip still in place. SL 68/4 after 17 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav comes into the attack. A slip in place for him. Kuldeep's job will be to tighten the noose further and pick up a few wickets while he's at it. Won't be easy though: Mathews is adept at playing spin. Two singles and a wide, so two runs from that Kuldeep over. SL 65/4 after 16 overs.
Jadeja is bowling beautifully. Just one run from the over. Slip and leg-slip stationed for Thirimanne. The left-armer is getting appreciable turn from the pitch. SL 62/4 after 15 as drinks come out on the field.
Hardik into his third. He's resorting to the short ball, is Hardik. Three singles coming off it. He's mixing it up nicely - slower ball, the pacy delivery - the cutters too. SL 61/4 after 14 overs.
Jadeja to continue. India on the prowl. Slip and leg-slip in place for Thirimanne. Mathews has to anchor the innings now. Chance of a run out... and Thirimanne has to put in a full length dive to just about make it. A dot to end the over. Jaddu is bowling round the wicket to Thirimanne to bring the lbw decision into play. SL 58/4 after 13 overs.
Pandya continues. GONE! Caught behind. Sri Lanka are unravelling. Change of pace from Hardik and Fernando gloves it trying to play an upper cut. Lahiru Thirimanne comes to the crease. He ends the over with a testing short ball. Thirimanne sways out of the line. SL 55/4 after 12 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja has been introduced into the attack. A slip for him. Sanjay Manjrekar on air .... Nice! GONE! He has been stumped and Kusal Mendis departs. Jadeja gets a breakthrough. Angelo Mathews comes to the crease. Two runs and a wicket. SL 54/3 after 11 overs .
Hardik Pandya has been brought into the attack. One slip in place for him. Pandya was hugely impressive against Bangladesh the other day. Begins by conceding two dots and a couple of singles. Tight start from the Baroda all-rounder. He's keeping it around back of a length. SL 52/2 after the first Powerplay.
Good over so far from Bhuvi. Four dots and a single that takes Sri Lanka to 50. Another dot to end the over. Much better lines from Bhuvi - on a good length and getting the ball to move away from the batsmen. SL 50/2 after 9 overs.
GONE ! Bumrah, you beauty. Gets rid of Perera this time. A clear inside edge through to the keeper and Sri Lanka are two down. Just how good is Bumrah! That was a short of a length ball that jagged back in and brushed the edge. Kusal Mendis in next. Fernando, at the other end, is putting on an exhibition: smashes one square of the off side before hitting one through backward square-leg for four more . SL 49/2 after 8 overs.
Bhuvi into his fourth over. Runs continue to come off Bhuvneshwar; this time it's Fernando who scythes a full delivery wide of off-stump through cover point for four. Seven from the over. SL 40/1 after 7 overs.
Saved. Jadeja, at backward point, ensures Bumrah doesn't concede a run yet. Two slips in place for Fernando. GONE ! Fernando has been given out lbw. But he reviews. Good review: replays show the ball sailing over the stumps. Fernando survives. The first runs off Bumrah today and it's a delighful straight drive from Fernando. Five off the over. SL 33/1 after 6 overs.
DROPPED ! Kuldeep and Hardik converge on the ball and the former drops it. Miscommunication leads to a grassed opportunity. Bhuvi could've had the wicket of Perera there. Two runs conceded. Nailed through extra cover for four... Bhuvi guilty of bowling wide and pays the price. Another expensive over: ends with four more. SL 28/1 after 5 overs. Perera has moved to 17 off 11.
Bumrah into his second over. Yet another dot. That was a full length delivery, angling across Karunaratne. Second dot. Short and wide, Karunaratne guides it towards backward point where Jadeja dives and saves a certain single. GONE! The pressure of dot balls tells and Karunaratne is out caught behind. Bumrah strikes. Avishka Fernando comes to the crease. Maiden followed by a wicket maiden. SL 12/1 after 4 overs.
Bhuvi to continue. Only one slip in place for Perera. That one keeps low but Perera manages to pull it away for a three. FOUR! Poor bowling from Bhuvneshwar: short and wide, and Karunaratne carves it square of the wicket for four. He overcompensates by erring in line - strays on the pads and flicked away for four more. 12 from it. SL 12/0 after 3 overs.
Bumrah to share the new ball. Starts with a back of a length delivery, angling away from the left-hander. He shortens his length around middle stump and blocked away. Make that three dots. Three more to end the over. A maiden to start things off. SL 5/0 after 2 overs.
Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Perera march out to the middle. Two slips in place. Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball. Karunaratne gets off the mark with a single. Perera opens his account with a boundary: driven on the up. Five off the first over. SL 5/0 after 1 over.
Time for the National Anthems of both teams. First up, India followed by Sri Lanka.
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TOSS UPDATE| Sri Lanka has won the toss and elected to bat.
India (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Kusal Perera(w), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Thisara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lasith Malinga
Virat Kohli - "We would have batted first as well, used pitch, will get slower as the match progresses. The team is doing well, we are striking a good balance at the right time. Two changes for us, one forced. Chahal has been rested and so is Shami. Kuldeep and Jadeja are in."
Dimuth Karunaratne - "We will bat first. It was an obvious plan, it's a used wicket and will get slower and slower. We didn't capitalize in the first few games, but we then started to correct those mistakes and started to do well. One change, Thisara Perera replaces Vandersay."
At a time when most of his contemporaries have either called it a day or are contemplating retirement, Lasith Malinga continues to spearhead the Sri Lankan pace bowling attack | Bumrah is a quick learner, says Mumbai Indians teammate Malinga
Plenty of chat going on about Mohammad Shami 2.0 : leaner, meaner and fitter. Our correspondent Shayan Acharya had caught up the Indian pacer during the IPL this year to find out more about the secret behind Shami's renewed vigour | Lean, mean and raring to go
From a conveyor belt that has thrown up trundlers as well as express-quicks, Jasprit Bumrah's unconventional action stands apart | Bumrah, the unique and relentless weapon in India's arsenal
Mike Hesson, former New Zealand head coach and currently a panellist on Star Sports Select Dugout, wants India seamer Mohammad Shami to use more variations while bowling at the death in World Cup 2019 | Shami should use more variations at the death
India suddenly has a surfeit of wicket-keepers. And with Dinesh Karthik getting a spot during the World Cup clash against Bangladesh at Edgbaston on Tuesday, the number of glove-men went up to four in the playing eleven!| We need to use Pant in an appropriate position, says fielding coach Sridhar
It is the worst kept secret in Indian cricket right now but India’s last match in the ongoing World Cup, in all likelihood, will also be Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s last game in India colours| Dhoni to retire after Team India's last World Cup 2019 match?
The contest against the men from the Emerald Island presents an opportunity to enhance obvious strengths and shed the minuscule rust that has crept in during the campaign.
Match Preview by K.C. Vijaya Kumar:
he Long Room at Headingley lives up to its prefix but what strikes the eye are the wooden boards mounted on the walls. Brownish grainy wood inscribed with names of cricketers, who either struck centuries or bagged a five-for in Tests. We have heard about the honours board at Lord’s and the one here is equally resplendent.
From the Indian perspective, the list features Vijay Manjrekar, M.A.K. Pataudi, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Roger Binny to gaze at and leap back in time. But for the Men in Blue, besides drawing some inspiration from history, it is time to sternly look ahead as Saturday’s game involving Sri Lanka looms into view.
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A World Cup semifinal berth has been secured but more needs to be done ahead of the knockouts. The contest against the men from the Emerald Island presents an opportunity to enhance obvious strengths and shed the minuscule rust that has crept in during the campaign.
It remains to be seen if the management would pick Ravindra Jadeja, who hasn’t had a match yet. As a substitute, Jadeja did all the right things on the field but off it, he has erred in his judgement. The all-rounder’s outburst on Twitter , against Sanjay Manjrekar’s critical remarks , is a distraction that could have been avoided. Other than this unsavoury episode, Virat Kohli’s men have shut out the noise and went about their task of playing hard and then found time to switch-off and recuperate.
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The top troika of Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul and Kohli have scored the bulk and it is time for the middle order to galvanise and add more adrenaline. Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant did reasonably well and the stage is set for Dinesh Karthik to step up while M.S. Dhoni has to hasten his strike-rate.
The bowling has been fine barring that bruising stint against England and the latter is most likely to be at the opposition’s corner in the semifinal. But that possibility could change if India plays to form and defeats Sri Lanka while Australia suffers a blip and succumbs to South Africa. The table will flip, India will lead and would take on the fourth-placed New Zealand. But these are hypothetical situations and what matters is the clash on hand.
Sri Lanka has had a stop-start campaign but has thrived on the will of its seniors be it a Lasith Malinga or Angelo Mathews and the audacity of youth as reflected by Avishka Fernando. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne would take heart from the fact that a fortnight ago, at this same venue, his men had humbled England. An encore against India would help the Sri Lankans leave with bigger smiles when they exit London’s Heathrow Airport.
This is Malinga’s last World Cup game and he has blazed bright in his twilight, roaring with delight and still promising a wicket in each of his spells. If he could dismiss his Mumbai Indians captain Rohit early, may be the face-off pitting neighbours, could throw up possibilities. But for now it is advantage India.
The match will be streamed live on Hotstar .
Hello and welcome to Sportstar's live coverage of the World Cup 2019 match between India and Sri Lanka at Headingley in Leeds.
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