Indian bowlers produced a splendid collective effort to carry their team to a 41-run win over a spirited Sri Lanka in a Super 4 match on Tuesday. Captain Rohit Sharma’s fifty (53 off 48 balls) was the cornerstone of India’s sub-par 213 after Lankan spinners Dunith Wellalage (5/40) and Charith Asalanka (4/18) bamboozled them.
But India, guided by Kuldeep Yadav’s 4 for 43, bowled out Sri Lanka for 172. India, who entered the final with four points, will either face Sri Lanka or Pakistan in the summit clash on Sunday. The hosts will face Pakistan in a crunch match on Thursday. Here’s what has happened in the other Super Fours matches of the Asia Cup 2023 so far.
India vs Pakistan Against Pakistan, Virat’s supreme fitness was evident in his 47th ODI century while KL Rahul produced an equally engaging ton on comeback. India posted an imposing 356 for 2, as Kohli (122 not out off 94 balls) and Rahul (111 not out off 106 balls), who scored his sixth ODI hundred, pummelled a hapless Pakistan to submission. Babar Azam-led team’s chase ended at 128 for 8 as Kuldeep Yadav (5/25) scythed through them. This was India’s biggest win in terms of runs against the cross-border neighbours.
In the two matches they have played in the Super Fours stage so far, Bangladesh have been beaten by both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In the first Super Fours match on September 6 in Lahore, Pakistan secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Haris Rauf (6-0-19-4) proved to be too quick for the Bangladeshi batters, who were also troubled relentlessly by Naseem Shah (5.4-0-34-3) after Shakib-Al-Hasan opted to bat. Bangladesh were eventually bundled out for a paltry 193 in just 38.4 overs, despite a 100-run stand and twin half-centuries by Shakib (53 off 57 balls) and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim (64 off 87 balls). The target was never going to pose a problem for the hosts, who knocked it off in just 39.3 overs.
In the second Super Fours match, a sparkling 93 by Sadeera Samarawickrama that preceded a spirited bowling effort helped Sri Lanka overcome Bangladesh by 21 runs in Colombo on Saturday. Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka (3/28), spinner Maheesh Theekshana (3/69) and Matheesha Pathirana (3/58) were on the money with the ball as they bundled out Bangladesh for 236, after posting 257 for 9. The visitors offered a hard fight through young Towhid Hridoy (82 off 97 balls, 7×4, 1×6) but the night did not have space for a one-man supershow. Take a look at the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s points table so far:
| Team | Matches | Won | Last | No Result | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2.69 |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -0.2 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.892 |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.749 |
