Gill, Kohli, Shreyas shine as India post 357/8 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai

Shubman Gill (92 off 92), Virat Kohli (88 off 94), and Shreyas Iyer (82 off 56) played wonderful knock as India posted 357/8 after being sent in to bat by Sri Lanka in match 33 of the 2023 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, November 2.

India’s innings got off to an unfamiliar start as Rohit Sharma (4) perished from the second ball to a beauty from Dilshan Madushanka (5/80). The left-arm seamer got an off-cutter to nip away past the batter’s outside edge and the ball ended up knocking out the off stump.

Both Gill and Kohli were dropped early in their innings. In the fifth over, the former slashed at a length ball outside off from Madushanka, but Charith Asalanka at cover-point put down a difficult chance, leaping across to his left. In the very next over, Dushmantha Chameera failed to latch on to return catch from Kohli.

Gill and Kohli made Sri Lanka pay for the let offs, adding 189 runs for the second wicket. In the same over that he was dropped, Kohli hit Chameera for two fours. Consecutive boundaries followed off Kasun Rajitha in the next over as Kohli began finding his groove. At the other end, Gill also smashed a couple of fours as India reached 60/1 after 10 overs.

Neither batter seemed in much trouble as India progressed smoothly. Kohli reached his 70th fifty in the 17th over, slog-sweeping Dushan Hemantha for a couple. A few balls later, Gill also brought up his half-century in style, punching the Sri Lankan leg-spinner down the ground for four. A boundary each from Kohli and Gill off Maheesh Theekshana took India past the 150-run mark at the halfway stage.

Both batters were looking good for three figures, but fell short. After smashing a couple of sixes and two fours in a space of a few deliveries, Gill fell to a smart delivery from Madushanka, caught behind as he looked to ramp a short off-cutter.

The Sri Lankan left-arm seamer also ended Kohli’s vigil as the batter was foxed by another off-cutter and lobbed a simple catch to short cover.

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Shreyas Iyer blitz lifts India amid fall of wickets

Under pressure to deliver, home boy Shreyas played a blazing kock even as India lost KL Rahul (21) and Suryakumar Yadav (12) at the other end. The batter got early momentum into his innings, launching a slower ball from Rajitha over mid-off for a maximum. Another six followed down the ground off Hemantha’s bowling.

Shreyas then hit the biggest six of the tournament (106 meters), clobbering a poor ball from Rajitha high over long-on. He added 60 for the fourth wicket with Rahul before the latter checked his stroke off Chameera and chipped a catch to short extra cover. Suryakumar looked good, but perished to a short ball, gloving one behind the wickets off Madushanka. Sri Lanka took a smart DRS to get the decision in their favor.

At the other end, Shreyas reached his fifty with a late cut off Theekshana for four. In the 48th over, he hit Madushanka for consecutive sixes - the first one over deep midwicket and the second down the ground.

Shreyas fell off the next ball, miscuing a wide slower delivery as Madushanka completed a five fer. A nice cameo from Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 24) guided India past the 350-run mark.