Published 23:34 IST, July 6th 2019
World Cup 2019 | India go on the summit of the points table after an emphatic win over Sri Lanka
The Virat Kohli-led side are now at the summit of the points table with seven wins, one loss with 15 points in their tally. They can retain the top position provided South Africa beat the reigning five-time World Champions Australia.
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India will go into the semi-final in an emphatic manner by a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka during their final ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 league game at Leeds on Saturday. By the virtue of this win, India have now equalled Sri Lanka with a 4-4 margin in World Cups. The Men In Blue also finished with two wins over the Lankans in their last two meetings in the quadrennial event. The Virat Kohli-led side are now at the summit of the points table with seven wins, one loss with 15 points in their tally. They can retain the top position provided South Africa beat the reigning five-time World Champions Australia.
Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and elected to bat first. They got off to a disastrous start as the 1996 winners were reduced to 55/4. Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne then added 124 runs for the fifth wicket stand. Thirimanne was dismissed for a 68-ball 53. Meanwhile, Mathews continued to anchor the Lankan innings. He got to a well-deserved ton. The former skipper scored a 128-ball 113 before he was dismissed in the penultimate over by Jasprit Bumrah. His vital knock helped the island nation get to a decent total of 264/7 in their 50 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/37 in his 10 overs at an economy rate of 3.70 which included two maidens.
In reply, India started on a brisk note. The Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul added 189 runs for the first wicket. Sharma started attacking right from the word 'Go'.Rohit played a fiery knock by hitting the ball to all areas of the ground. He brought up his 27th ODI ton in the process. However, he could not last for too long as he was caught by Angelo Mathews at mid-off off Kasun Rajitha. The Hitman scored a 94-ball 103 at a strike rate of 109.57 which included 14 boundaries and two maximums.
Post Sharma's dismissal, Rahul anchored the Indian run chase. The Karnataka batsman scored his second ODI ton and his maiden ton in World Cups. In the end, skipper Virat Kohli (34*) and Hardik Pandya (7*) took India past the finish line with over six overs to spare.
Rohit Sharma was adjudged Man of the Match for his match-winning ton.
22:38 IST, July 6th 2019