Asia Cup 2023: India vs Sri Lanka, Final - Who Said What?

What a match this has been. Courtesy of a ten-wicket win over Sri Lanka, India are the champions of Asia for the eighth time in their history. Batting first, Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals as Mohammed Siraj proved to be unplayable. The Hyderabad-born cricketer picked up six wickets as he absolutely hammered the home side. Hardik Pandya joined the party later on, as he picked up three wickets to bundle Sri Lanka for just 50 runs.

When it came to the chase, India changed the combination, as Ishan Kishan was asked to open alongside Shubman Gill. The youngsters eventually got the job done as they chased 51 runs in just 6.1 overs. With that. India picked up an easy win and registered multiple records in the process.

Talking points in the match between IND vs SL:

Mohammed Siraj wreaks Sri Lanka

Mohammed Siraj was unplayable with the new ball. He picked up four wickets in the fourth over of the match and picked up two more in the next few overs. The ace pacer was exceptional with his line and length, as Sri Lankan batters looked clueless in the middle. Courtesy of his brilliant performance, India managed to bundle Sri Lanka to 50 runs.

Hardik Pandya’s three wickets

Jasprit Bumrah picked up the first wicket, and later, Siraj and Hardik Pandya’s fiery spells dismantled Sri Lanka. Ahead of the ODI World Cup, this is a much positive sign for the Men in Blue.

Openers get the job done.

Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan got the job done with absolute ease. They chased 51 runs in just 6.1 overs. Gill hit 27* runs in 19 deliveries, while Kishan hit 23* runs in 18 deliveries. With that, India won the match by ten wickets and won their eighth Asia Cup.

Losing skipper Dasun Shanka said:

It was outstanding bowling display from Siraj. I thought it'll be a good pitch for batters, but overcast conditions played a part. Tough day for us at the office. We could've tightened our technique, would've helped batters to settle in and free their arms later. Lots of positives. The way Sadeera and Kusal batted against spin, Also the way Asalanka batted. These three will score heavily in good batting conditions in India. We know how to bounce back from tough situations. We came into the final beating good sides. It's a big plus. Players will continue good cricket from last couple of years. I would like to thank supporters who came in numbers. Sorry about the fact we disappointed you. Still thanks for the great support. And congrats to the Indian team.

Winning skipper Rohit Sharma said:

Yeah was a great performance. To come out and play like that in the final shows the mental character. Great start with the ball and clinical finish with the bat. I was standing in the slips, and something we take pride in - our seamers have been working really hard. Very very clear in their mind. It was good to see that. Such a performance we will cherish for a long time. I never thought it's going to do that much. Comes down to the skillset of individuals. Siraj has to be given a lot of credit. Rare for seamers to move the ball in the air and off the pitch. He's coming off age. We did everything we could've achieved as a team in this tournament. Look forward to the series that is coming up in India, and then the World Cup. The way Hardik and Ishan batted in that pressure situation against Pakistan, and then KL and Virat getting hundreds. The way Gill has been batting. Guys have stood up at various stages.

POTM Mohammed Siraj said:

No biryani here. Have been bowling well since a long time. Was missing the edges earlier. But found them today. The wicket was seaming earlier, but there was swing today. Thought that I will bowl fuller because of the swing. When there's good bonding between fast bowlers, it's helpful for the team. I was thinking it would be great if I could stop the boundary. My best spell. This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. This tournament wouldn't have been possible without them.

POTS Kuldeep Yadav said:

From last one and a half years, been working on my rhythm. Being more aggressive through the crease. Loving my bowling. In T20s also the length matters a lot. It's about not thinking about wickets, just about the lengths. Have worked hard on that. Credit goes to Rohit bhai. He encouraged me to work on my speed. When fast bowlers give you couple of wickets in powerplay, it becomes easy for spinners.