Match Center

Right then, that's all from this game. India have become the first finalist of this edition of the Asia Cup. We will have a day's break now, and the action in the 2023 Asia Cup will resume on September 14, when Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan in what will be a virtual semi-final. The first ball will be bowled at 3 pm IST (9.30 am GMT). As always, you can join us early for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Dunith Wellalage is the Player of the Match for his all-round performance. He starts by congratulating the Indian team for winning the game. Adds that they have another game to get to the finals. Mentions that he has been working hard since a very young age with a positive mindset which has helped him to mature early in this game. Ends by thanking his teammates and the support staff for their support.

The skipper of India, Rohit Sharma, says that it was a good game. Adds that it was nice to play under pressure. Mentions that they are thinking of playing on such challenging wickets. Shares that this game challenged a lot of aspects of their game. On Hardik Pandya, he says that he has been working hard on his bowling and it was pleasing to see the way he bowled. On Kuldeep Yadav, he says that he has been bowling well and has worked on his rhythm. Adds that the ball is coming out of his hand nicely which is a good sign.

Sri Lanka's skipper Dasun Shanaka says that he expected a batting track at this level of the tournament. Credits his spinners to bring for taking all 10 wickets. Shares that he is happy about the outcome with the bowling side. Praises young Dunith Wellalage for picking up 5 wickets and says that he knew it was going to be his day today after his performance against Bangladesh.

Time for the presentations...

KL Rahul is in for a chat. He says that it was an amazing game of cricket. Adds that it was a test for them playing the third day in the row and winning the match is a huge moral booster. Shares that he is always happy when he scores for the team. Mentions that it was a challenging wicket but after being out for 6 months he will look to bat anywhere he gets a chance. Reckons that a few more partnerships in the batting would have taken them to a better score. Credits to the Sri Lankan team for the fight shown by them.

Earlier in the game, it was Rohit Sharma who won the toss and opted to put runs on the board on a dry surface. Thanks to Rohit Sharma's breezy fifty, India were off to an excellent start. Once the opening stand was broken, India began to lose their way as they kept losing wickets against the Lankan spinners. Thanks to contributions from KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Axar Patel, India somehow scrapped their way to 213. For Sri Lanka, their spinners took all 10 wickets, a feat achieved against India for the first time in ODIs. Dunith Wellalage was the star of the show with a five-wicket haul, while Charith Asalanka accounted for four wickets and Maheesh Theekshana had one wicket to his name.

In their pursuit of a modest total of 214 runs, Sri Lanka were rocked early as they lost Pathum Nissanka in the third over. They were pegged back even more as Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne lost in quick succession and found themselves struggling in a spot of bother. Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama then got together and calmed things down by keeping the scoreboard ticking. Just when both batters were starting to look confident in the middle, Sadeera ran out of patience, and Asalanka followed back into the hut soon after. At 99-6, Sri Lanka looked down and out which is when the star with the ball, Dunith Wellalage stepped up with the bat and wrestled back the initiative with Dhananjaya de Silva. However, a rush of blood from de Silva led to his downfall and in the end, Sri Lanka were rolled over for 172 despite Dunith's resistance.

After failing to bat the allotted overs, India needed early wickets to have any chance of defending the total. Like the last game, Jasprit Bumrah was on the money right from the word go and got India off to the perfect start with twin strikes in his first four overs. From the other end, Mohammed Siraj chipped in as well to put Sri Lanka in further trouble. Introduced after the powerplay, Kuldeep Yadav continued where he left off against Pakistan and dismissed both Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama to put his side in a commanding position. India were then tested and stalled by a gritty stand between Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage. Just when the game was starting to slip away from them, Ravindra Jadeja's persistence paid off as he accounted for de Silva. This opened one end for India which allowed Hardik Pandya to get rid of Maheesh Theekshana before Kuldeep Yadav ran through the tail to complete the formalities.

There it is, a comprehensive victory in the end for the Men in Blue! The game ebbed and flowed throughout but it is Rohit Sharma's men who have trounced Sri Lanka by a margin of 41 runs, and by doing so, they have booked a place in the final. As far as Sri Lanka are concerned, they gave a good account of themselves but India proved too good for them. With this defeat, their 13-game winning streak in ODIs has now come to an end. That said, all is not lost for Dasun Shanaka and Co., who are still in finals contention for the 2023 Asia Cup.

OUT! Gets the Timber! Flighted delivery on the leg stump. Matheesha Pathirana looking to sweep the ball gets beaten and the ball goes through his legs to hit the stumps. Kuldeep Yadav finishing things off with a 4-wicket haul. India win by 41 runs!

Tossed up getting some turn into the batter. Matheesha Pathirana goes back and blocks it off.

Matheesha Pathirana is the new batter in.

OUT! TIMBER! Kuldeep Yadav does the job his captain had asked for and Sri Lanka lose another! Comes from over the wicket and bowls a googly, short and around middle and leg. Kasun Rajitha waits on the back foot and looks to work it across the line. He fails to read the googly and pays the price. The ball spins away and goes past his outside edge. Crashes into the top of off stump and Kuldeep Yadav has his third wicket. India are now a wicket away from a place in the final.

Pitched up at the stumps. Kasun Rajitha flicks the ball towards mid-wicket and runs a single.

Kasun Rajitha is the new man in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Good length delivery on the pads of Maheesh Theekshana who loses the timing while blocking and lobs on towards mid on where the substitute fielder Suryakumar Yadav takes a brilliant catch diving in front to his right. Sri Lanka in deep trouble.