On This Day: India Defeat Sri Lanka by 41 Runs in a Low-Scoring Asia Cup 2023 Super Four Clash at Colombo

What looked like a straightforward game soon turned into a low-scoring thriller that kept everyone on edge. The bowlers dominated, the batsmen struggled for runs, and every wicket shifted momentum. Fans witnessed gripping spells, tight fielding, and nerve-racking moments, making it one of the most memorable encounters of the tournament.

India vs Sri Lanka: 12th September 2023

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, India set out to post a big score against Sri Lanka in this Asia Cup Super Four match. The pitch had something in it for spinners, but India’s openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, looked ready to take it on. Rohit, the skipper, was in a mood to dominate from the get-go. He played some cracking shots, smashing seven fours and two sixes on his way to a quickfire 53 off 48 balls. His fifty came off just 44 balls, and he looked like he could take the game away from Sri Lanka single-handedly. Gill, at the other end, played a more cautious role, scoring 19 off 25 balls with a couple of lovely boundaries. The pair put on 80 runs in 11.1 overs, giving India a flying start.

Things took a turn when Sri Lanka’s young gun, Dunith Wellalage, got into the action. The 20-year-old spinner bowled with guile and struck gold in the 11th over, clean-bowling Gill for 19. He didn’t stop there. In the 13.5 over, he sent back Virat Kohli, who had a rare off-day, managing just three off 12 balls before nicking one to Dasun Shanaka in the slips. Rohit kept going strong, pushing India to 90 by the 13.5-over mark, but Wellalage wasn’t done. In the 15.1 over, he bowled a beauty to castle Rohit for 53, leaving India at 91 for three. The top order, which looked so solid early on, was suddenly wobbling, and Wellalage was the man making it happen.

Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul came together to steady things. Kishan, batting in the middle order, played with care, scoring 33 off 61 balls, including a four and a six. Rahul, looking calm and composed, made 39 off 44 balls with two boundaries. They added 63 runs for the fourth wicket, playing smart cricket on a pitch that was turning. They picked singles, avoided risky shots, and took India past 100 in 17.4 overs, with 16 extras by then. The duo pushed the score to 150 by 29.2 overs, but Wellalage struck again, grabbing a sharp return catch to dismiss Rahul in the 29.6 over. That wicket shifted the momentum back to Sri Lanka, and at the 30-over drinks break, India were 154 for four, needing to kick on.

Hardik Pandya walked in but couldn’t find his rhythm, scratching around for five off 18 balls before Wellalage had him caught behind in the 35.6 over. That gave Wellalage his fifth wicket, and what a spell it was, 5 for 40 in 10 overs, including a maiden. He also took two catches, making him the star of Sri Lanka’s bowling. Kishan fell soon after, caught by Wellalage off Charith Asalanka’s part-time spin for 33 in the 34.2 over. Asalanka, who you wouldn’t expect to be a bowling hero, was brilliant, finishing with 4 for 18 in nine overs, including a maiden. He got Ravindra Jadeja, who managed just four off 19 balls, caught behind in the 38.5 over.

India’s lower order was in real trouble now. Jasprit Bumrah battled for five off 12 balls but was bowled by Asalanka in the 42.1 over, and Kuldeep Yadav was out next ball, caught by Dhananjaya de Silva for a duck. At 186 for nine in 42.2 overs, India were staring at a low total. Axar Patel, though, showed some fight, scoring 26 off 36 balls with a six, and Mohammed Siraj, unbeaten on five off 19 balls, stuck around to add 27 runs for the last wicket. Extras chipped in with 21 runs. Axar’s resistance ended in the 49.1 over, caught off Maheesh Theekshana, who took 1 for 41 in 9.1 overs.

Sri Lanka’s other bowlers, Kasun Rajitha (0 for 30 in four overs), Dasun Shanaka (0 for 24 in three overs), Matheesha Pathirana (0 for 31 in four overs), and Dhananjaya de Silva (0 for 28 in 10 overs) didn’t take wickets but kept things tight. A brief rain delay at 197 for nine in 47 overs didn’t change much, and India finished at 213 in 49.1 overs, with a run rate of 4.33. It wasn’t a big score, especially with spinners ruling the roost. Wellalage’s magic and Asalanka’s surprise wickets kept India in check, and while Rohit’s start and the Kishan-Rahul stand gave them hope, India would’ve wanted more from their big names.

Chasing 214 under the lights, Sri Lanka needed a good start, but India’s bowlers came out firing. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne were up against it from the start. Nissanka looked to attack, hitting a four in his six off seven balls, but Jasprit Bumrah got him caught behind by KL Rahul in the 2.1 over. Rahul was keeping wickets instead of Ishan Kishan and was sharp as ever. Kusal Mendis tried to counterattack, hitting three fours in his 15 off 16 balls, but Bumrah struck again in the 6.4 over, getting him caught by substitute Suryakumar Yadav. Karunaratne never got going, scraping two off 18 balls before Mohammed Siraj had him caught by Shubman Gill in the 7.1 overs. Sri Lanka were in deep trouble at 25 for three, with the first powerplay producing just 39 runs for three wickets.

Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka tried to dig Sri Lanka out of the hole, adding 43 runs for the fourth wicket. Samarawickrama made 17 off 31 balls with a four, while Asalanka scored 22 off 35 balls, including two boundaries. They got Sri Lanka to 50 in 13.1 overs, with six extras helping out. But Kuldeep Yadav turned things around, stumping Samarawickrama off Rahul’s quick hands in the 17.3 over. Asalanka followed in the 19.2 over, caught behind by Rahul off Kuldeep, leaving Sri Lanka at 73 for five. At the drinks break after 14 overs, they were 52 for three, struggling to keep up with the run rate.

Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Dasun Shanaka put on 26 runs for the sixth wicket, trying to keep the chase alive. Shanaka scored nine off 13 balls with a four but was caught by Rohit Sharma at slip off Ravindra Jadeja in the 25.1 over. De Silva, playing a lone hand, fought hard for his 41 off 66 balls, hitting five fours. He took Sri Lanka past 100 in 25.2 overs, with seven extras by then. De Silva found a solid partner in Dunith Wellalage, and the two added a crucial 63 runs for the seventh wicket. Wellalage, unbeaten on 42 off 46 balls with three fours and a six, played like a seasoned pro, mixing careful defense with smart boundary-hitting. His knock kept Sri Lanka in the game, and fans were starting to believe.

At the 31-over drinks break, Sri Lanka were 133 for six, with de Silva on 32 and Wellalage on 15. They hit 150 in 33.4 overs, with 15 extras (two byes, four leg byes, one no-ball, eight wides). Their seventh-wicket stand reached 50 runs in 52 balls, including eight extras, and it looked like they might pull off a miracle. But Jadeja struck a huge blow, getting de Silva caught by Gill for 41 in the 37.3 over, breaking Sri Lanka’s back. They were 162 for seven, and the chase was slipping away fast.

Maheesh Theekshana couldn’t get going, scoring two off 14 balls before Hardik Pandya had him caught by Suryakumar in the 40.5 over. Kasun Rajitha managed one off two balls but was bowled by Kuldeep in the 41.1 over. Matheesha Pathirana fell for a duck off two balls, bowled by Kuldeep in the 41.3 over, and that was that as Sri Lanka were all out for 172 in 41.3 overs, with a run rate of 4.14. Kuldeep was the star with 4 for 43 in 9.3 overs, while Bumrah took 2 for 30 in seven overs, including a maiden. Siraj was tight with 1 for 17 in five overs, with two maidens, and Jadeja grabbed 2 for 33 in 10 overs. Pandya chipped in with 1 for 14 in five overs, while Axar Patel went for 0 for 29 in five.

The second powerplay saw 131 runs for four wickets. Rahul’s glovework was top-notch, and India’s fielders, especially Gill and Suryakumar, took key catches. A review by India in the 11.2 over didn’t work out, but their bowlers never let up. Wellalage’s fighting 42 and de Silva’s 41 gave Sri Lanka hope, but the early top-order collapse was too much to overcome. India’s spinners and sharp fielding sealed a 41-run win, putting them in pole position in the Asia Cup.