COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — India cruised to a comfortable ten-wicket win in the Asia Cup final, handing Sri Lanka a historically heavy defeat at R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Having bowled out Sri Lanka for 50 runs, Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill knocked off the target in just 6.1 overs to secure the victory.
Kishan finished off the run chase with a single off part-time spinner Charith Asalanka as the rain-affected tournament’s final ended inside just two hours.
“It was a great performance,” said India captain Rohit Sharma. “To come out and play like that in the final shows the mental character. Great start with the ball and clinical finish with the bat.”
Pacer Mohammed Siraj was the hero for India claiming career best figures of 6-21 while all-rounder Hardik Pandya took three wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka.
“Very pleased with the effort today,” said Siraj. “I have been bowling well since a long time. Was missing the edges earlier in the tournament but found the rhythm today.”
It’s the lowest total in an ODI final and Sri Lanka’s second lowest total after its 43 all out against South Africa in Paarl in 2011.
It was also Sri Lanka’s lowest total at home with the previous lowest being the 98 all out against South Africa at the same venue in 1993.
It is also the lowest total in the history of Asia Cups.
Jasprit Bumrah had opening batsman Kusal Perera caught behind for no score in the first over of the innings and then Siraj took over, claiming four wickets in his second over, becoming the first Indian bowler to do so.
Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva all fell in the space of six deliveries as Siraj wrecked Sri Lanka’s innings in a manic over.
Siraj then bowled captain Dasun Shanaka in his next over to reduce Sri Lanka to 12 for six. He had a sixth wicket by cleaning up Kusal Mendis.
Mendis’ 17 was the top scorer in Sri Lanka’s innings in a dismal display as five batters were dismissed without scoring.
Siraj’s six for 21 is now the fourth-best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in ODI cricket.
Sri Lanka had opted to bowl first on a wicket that was expected to assist spin bowling, but it was the Indian quicks who ran through the Sri Lankan batting in front of a full house of 35,000 fans.
Sri Lanka and India had progressed to the Asia Cup finals while Pakistan and Bangladesh were knocked out in the Super Four stage. Afghanistan and Nepal failed to get beyond the first round.
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