Mohammed Shami showcased his brilliance by claiming five wickets as India's fast bowlers delivered a spectacular performance, dismantling Sri Lanka for a mere 55 runs. This commanding victory in Mumbai on Thursday secured India's place in the World Cup semi-finals with an emphatic 302-run win.
Sri Lanka's dismal innings featured a string of ducks, as both their opening batsmen were dismissed without scoring, leaving them struggling at 14/6 in pursuit of India's imposing total of 358.
Shami's remarkable spell of 5/18 in five overs, coupled with Jasprit Bumrah's 1/8 in five overs and Mohammed Siraj's 3/16 in seven overs, inflicted early damage on Sri Lanka. Shami took two wickets in consecutive balls, further contributing to Sri Lanka's rapid collapse. Their top scorer managed just 14 runs.
This victory marked India's most significant winning margin, in terms of runs, in a World Cup game, surpassing their previous record of a 257-run victory against non-Test nation Bermuda in the 2007 edition.
Sri Lanka's total, although meager, managed to surpass the 50 all-out they posted in a 10-wicket Asia Cup defeat to India in Colombo in September. They also avoided the ignominy of setting new records for the lowest total in a one-day international, avoiding the 35-run mark, as well as the World Cup record of 36 runs, held by Canada against Sri Lanka in Paarl, South Africa, in 2003.
For Sri Lanka, these meager consolations offered little solace as they suffered their fifth defeat in seven games in the World Cup.
Before this remarkable bowling display, India's Virat Kohli provided some fireworks with his bat, although he narrowly missed equalling Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record of 49 ODI hundreds. Kohli scored 88 runs in India's total of 357/8 and shared a significant partnership of 189 runs with opener Shubman Gill, following the early dismissal of India's captain Rohit Sharma.
Although the duo was dismissed in quick succession, Shreyas Iyer's blistering 82, featuring six sixes, helped maintain the flow of runs for India.
In a daunting chase, Sri Lanka hoped for a solid start at the Wankhede Stadium, which held painful memories for them as India defeated Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final. However, their hopes were dashed as both opening batsmen, Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne, were dismissed for nought.
Sri Lanka's captain, Kusal Mendis, was also dismissed for just one run. Mohammed Shami continued to wreak havoc, taking crucial wickets and ensuring there was no respite for the struggling Sri Lankan side.
In the end, India's bowlers, led by Shami, dominated Sri Lanka, and the match was concluded with the dismissal of Dilshan Madushanka, who had been the standout performer for Sri Lanka with figures of 5/80.
Although India's captain Rohit Sharma was bowled by Madushanka early in the match, Sri Lanka missed a couple of opportunities, with Gill and Kohli surviving some close calls before their eventual dismissals.
676.767 SRY