Mumbai: Indian veteran speedster Mohammed Shami thanked the Wankhede crowd after picking up the five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in match 33 of the ongoing ODI World Cup match against Sri Lanka on Thursday at Mumbai.
Mohammed Shami picked up his second fifer of the tournament earlier the 33-year-old pacer picked up a fifer against New Zealand in Dharamshala. Shami picked up Charith Asalanka, Angelo Matthews, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmanta Chameera and Kasun Rajitha
“In big tournaments, once the rhythm goes away, it’s very tough to get it back. I always focus on hitting the good areas and length. Very happy (on becoming India’s leading wicket-taker in World Cups) It’s very important to be in rhythm in white ball cricket and hit the good areas. If you hit the good areas with the new ball you will get assistance off the pitch and for me length matters a lot. The kind of support we get from the crowd, I want to thank each and every one of them. We also get a lot of support whenever we travel outside India as well. The dressing room is in a very good space” said Shami on post match conference.
The hosts continued their brilliant all-round display in the World Cup, claiming the fourth-largest win ever by bundling out Sri Lanka for 55 in 19.2 overs after riding on some brilliant batting by Gill (92), Kohli (88) and Iyer (82) to post 357/8 in 50 overs.
India now have 14 points from seven games and are the first team to confirm their place in the last-four stage in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup.
Shami claimed his second five-wicket haul of the ongoing World Cup, his 5-18 helping India bundle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 55 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Shami had figures of 5-1-18-5, taking his overall tally to 45 as he became the highest wicket-taker for India in World Cups, getting past Zaheer Khan’s tally of 44 in 23 matches. Shami, who had claimed 5-54 against New Zealand earlier in this World Cup, reached the mark in just 14 matches.
Shami, who came into the playing XI after Hardik Pandya was injured, has taken 14 wickets in just three matches so far.
The last time they met Sri Lanka in the final of the 2023 Asia Cup in Colombo, India bowled them out for 50 in 15.2 overs. On Thursday, India bowled them out for 55 in 19.4 to win by 302 runs.
While Shami claimed 5-18, Mohd Siraj bagged 3-16 as India threatened to get Sri Lanka out for the lowest total ever after reducing the 1996 World Cup winners to 22/7 after 12 over.
While Bumrah claimed one wicket, Siraj and Shami bagged two wickets each in their first overs. Sri Lanka were four down for three runs and then 14/6 at the end of the 10th over.
Coming in as the first change, Shami sent back Charith Asalanka (1) on the third ball of his opening over, as the batter slashed at a short and wide delivery to hand Ravindra Jadeja a catch at backward point.
He made it two in two balls when Dushan Hemantha pushed at a good length ball outside off and behind to Rahul, becoming the third Sri Lankan batter to get a first-ball duck on Thursday.
Shami claimed the third wicket of the day thanks to DRS when the ultra edge showed Dushmantha Chameera (0) had gloved a delivery going down leg-side to keeper KL Rahul, making it seven down for 22 runs.
Down 22/7 after 12 overs, Sri Lanka looked like getting the unwanted record of the lowest all-out total in ODIs, which is 35, by Zimbabwe (vs SL) and USA (vs Nepal).
They were 29/8 when Shami bowled out Angelo Mathews 12 in the 14th over and then completed his fifer by claiming the wicket of Kasun Rajitha, the top-scorer for Sri Lanka on the day, by edging a drive to Gill at second slip.
Sri Lanka managed that thanks to a ninth-wicket partnership between Maheesh Theekshana (12 not out) and Kasun Rajitha (14), only the third batsman to get into double figures. Ravindra Jadeja ended their inning when he sent back Madushanka for five.
