5 milestones that were reached during India’s incredible 302-run victory over Sri Lanka in the 2023 World Cup
Team India confirmed their semi-final berth with a massive 302-run win over Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Batting first, the hosts were rocked early, losing skipper Rohit Sharma in the first over. But Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli joined hands to stitch together an 189-run stand to put the team on top. Although they lost a couple of wickets in quick succession, Shreyas Iyer's brisk 82 off 56 deliveries propelled the Men in Blue to 357/8.
In response, Sri Lanka surrendered themselves against world-class fast bowling. While Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj inflicted the early blows, Mohammed Shami put on the finishing touches with a five-wicket haul. The Lankans were eventually bundled out for 55 runs, losing the match by 302 runs.
Several milestones were reached on Thursday, with India dominating most of them. On that note, let's take a look at five milestones that were reached during India's mammoth victory over Sri Lanka.
#1 Mohammed Shami becomes India's highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups
Since his induction into the playing XI, Mohammed Shami has been nothing short of a spectacle. He announced his arrival with a five-wicket haul against New Zealand and backed it with four scalps against England.
The Bengal pacer then picked up his second fifer of the tournament on Thursday, this time against Sri Lanka. With today's five-wicket haul, Shami now has 45 wickets to his name in the ODI World Cup in just 14 matches.
He leapfrogged Zaheer Khan (44 in 23 matches) and Javagal Srinath (44 in 34 games) to be India's highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups.
#2 Sri Lanka registered the lowest total in ODI World Cups by a full-member team
Kusal Mendis and company were no match to Team India on Thursday. They were bundled out for just 55 runs inside 20 overs while chasing 358. Only three Lankan batters managed to reach the double-digit mark.
This is the lowest total by a full-member team in ODI World Cups. Bangladesh held the record previously when they were bowled out for 58 by the mighty West Indians in Mirpur during the 2011 World Cup.
Pakistan completed the top three when they were knocked over for 74 runs by England in a group-stage game in Adelaide in the 1992 World Cup. However, the Men in Green returned the favor in the final, beating England by 22 runs to lift their maiden World Cup title.
This is also Sri Lanka's second-lowest ODI total against India. The lowest total of 50 came earlier this year in Colombo during the Asia Cup 2023 final.
#3 Mohammed Shami now has the joint-most five-wicket hauls in ODI World Cups
Mohammed Shami and ODI World Cups are a match made in heaven. He produces his absolute best in marquee competitions and this World Cup is no different.
The right-arm pacer has already bagged two five-wicket hauls in three games in the ongoing edition. Shami claimed another fifer against England in the 2019 World Cup, making three five-wicket hauls to his kitty.
This is the joint-most by a bowler alongside Australia's Mitchell Starc. The left-arm pacer is also the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of the tournament with 56 scalps from 24 matches after Glenn McGrath and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Additionally, Shami has the most five-wicket hauls in ODIs by an India. He went past Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh, who had three each.
#4 Team India register second-biggest ODI win
The Men in Blue have been ruthless in the ongoing ODI World Cup and it continued even on Thursday against Sri Lanka. After posting 357 runs on the board, they bowled out the Lankans for just 55, winning the match by a massive 302-run margin.
This is India's second-biggest win in ODI cricket. Their biggest win also came against Sri Lanka earlier this year when Rohit Sharma and company thumped them by 317 runs in Thiruvananthapuram.
Batting first, the hosts posted 390/5 in their 50 overs before bowling out the Lankans for 73, thanks to a four-wicket haul by Siraj.
#5 Mohammed Shami has second-most four-wicket hauls in a single World Cup edition
The ace fast bowler now has picked up three four-wicket hauls in this year's ODI World Cup, which is the second-most by a bowler in a single edition. Shami also achieved a similar feat in the 2019 World Cup in England.
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi tops the list alongside Starc with four four-wicket hauls in a single edition. Afridi reached the landmark in 2011, while Starc managed it in 2019.