In a stunning display of bowling mastery, Mohammed Siraj propelled India to a resounding triumph over Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup 2023, clinching six wickets and smashing records along the way. Here are the key highlights from Siraj’s exceptional performance and India’s commanding win in Colombo:
Sri Lanka’s Day of Horror:
- Sri Lanka’s abysmal 50 all-out stands as the lowest total ever conceded by them against India in an ODI, as well as the lowest in any ODI final. The previous record was set at 58 by Bangladesh in Mirpur back in 2014, with India’s previous lowest in a final being 54 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 2000.
Lowest Totals in ODI Finals:
- Sri Lanka: 50 in 15.2 overs (Colombo RPS, 17-Sep-23)
- India: 54 in 26.3 overs (Sharjah, 29-Oct-00)
- Sri Lanka: 78 in 16.5 overs (Sharjah, 17-Apr-02)
- Oman: 81 in 29 overs (Windhoek, 27-Apr-19)
- West Indies: 103 in 40.3 overs (Melbourne, 20-Jan-97)
Lowest ODI Totals vs. India:
- Sri Lanka: 50 in 15.2 overs (Colombo RPS, 17-Sep-23)
- Bangladesh: 58 in 17.4 overs (Mirpur, 17-Jun-14)
- Zimbabwe: 65 in 24.3 overs (Harare, 29-Aug-05)
- Sri Lanka: 73 in 22 overs (Thiruvananthapuram, 15-Jan-23)
- Bangladesh: 76 in 27.3 overs (Dhaka, 11-Apr-03)
- New Zealand: 79 in 23.1 overs (Visakhapatnam, 29-Oct-16)
Siraj’s Spectacular Performance:
- Mohammed Siraj’s figures of 6/21 are the fourth-best bowling figures for India in ODI cricket. These figures also mark the best ODI bowling performance against Sri Lanka, surpassing Waqar Younis’s 6/26 in Sharjah in 1990.
Best Figures for India in ODIs:
- Stuart Binny: 6/4 (Mirpur, 17-Jun-14)
- Anil Kumble: 6/12 (Eden Gardens, 27-Nov-93)
- Jasprit Bumrah: 6/19 (The Oval, 12-Jul-22)
- Mohammed Siraj: 6/21 (Colombo RPS, 17-Sep-23)
- Ashish Nehra: 6/23 (Durban, 26-Feb-03)
- Siraj’s incredible feat of taking four wickets in a single over places him among an elite group in ODIs, alongside Chaminda Vaas, Mohammad Sami, and Adil Rashid (where ball-by-ball data is available).
- Siraj’s five-wicket haul in the first 10 overs of an ODI makes him the first Indian bowler to achieve this milestone (where ball-by-ball data is available).
- India’s exceptional start with six wickets in the first Powerplay is a historic feat in ODI cricket (where ball-by-ball data is available).
- Mohammed Siraj’s rapid attainment of 50 ODI wickets for India ranks him as the third-fastest in achieving this milestone, following Kuldeep Yadav and Ajit Agarkar.
- India’s pacers taking all ten wickets in an Asia Cup ODI is a rare achievement, with the only previous instance occurring when Pakistan’s seamers accomplished it against India earlier in the tournament in Pallekele.
Record-Breaking Win:
- India’s astounding victory with 263 balls to spare is their largest ODI win, surpassing their triumph against Kenya in Bloemfontein when they chased down 90 with 231 balls remaining.
- This ten-wicket win for India marks the third such instance in an ODI final, with the previous ones being India’s victory in the Sharjah Cup final against Zimbabwe in 1998 and Australia’s win against England in the Australia tri-series final in Sydney in 2003. The 263 balls to spare victory margin in the final is the most significant ever.
A Brief Spectacle:
- The entire ODI lasted a mere 129 balls, with Sri Lanka batting for 15.2 overs and India efficiently chasing down the 51-run target in just 6.1 overs. This makes it one of the shortest ODIs with a decisive result, alongside Nepal’s 104-ball victory against the USA in Kirtipur in 2020 and Sri Lanka’s 120-ball win against Zimbabwe in Colombo SSC in 2001.
Witnessing Mohammed Siraj’s incredible bowling prowess and India’s record-breaking victory will be remembered as a historic moment in the world of cricket.
