The Men in Blue demolished Sri Lanka to clinch a 302-run win and reach the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals. The India Cricket Team became the first team to reach the top 4 of the ongoing World Cup to reach the semis of the mega tournament for the 8th time with a 7-match unbeaten run.
Since the first game against Australia, the Men in Blue have been nothing but ruthless to their opponents to take the top spot in the Points Table. With 2 more remaining against South Africa and the Netherlands, the India Cricket Team will be keen to continue their dominating form.
India’s Road to Semi-Finals
Trouble with the Aussies – India win by 6 wickets
India faced Australia in their opening game of the World Cup on 8th October. It was the Men in Yellow who batted first and managed to score a sub-optimal 199 runs on the scoreboard. Ravindra Jadeja wove his magic with the ball by scalping 3 wickets as Bumrah and Kuldeep bagged 2 wickets a piece.
But India’s grand opening was met with a turbulent fate. India’s top order collapsed as the Men in Blue were left helpless with a scorecard of 2/3. Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer all departing for ducks. On came the chase master Virat Kohli and the dependable KL Rahul who stitched a match-winning performance to guide India to victory. Kohli scored 85 while KL remained unbeaten on 97 as India won by 6 wickets.
W 0 0 0 W 0 W: Asia Cup Final all over again as Mohammed Siraj demolish Sri Lanka
Pathans Tamed in Delhi – India win by 8 wickets
After heroics against Australia, India traveled to Delhi where they faced tricky Afghanistan. Batting first, the Pathans managed to put up a decent score of 272 runs, courtesy of skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 80 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s 62-run knock. Jasprit Bumrah rocked the stage by picking up a four-fer.
After a duck against the Aussies, it was Rohit Sharma on the rampage. The Pathans were blown apart by the Hitman who slammed 131 runs. Ishan Kishan scored 47 while Virat Kohli wrapped the game with an unbeaten 55-run knock as India chased down the target with 15 overs to spare.
Unbeaten streak vs neighbour continues – India win by 7 wickets
India vs Pakistan was anticipated to be the match of the tournament given the rivalry that the two countries share. Pakistan went for a complete toss and was bowled out for 191 runs. Skipper Babar Azam scored his fifty Mohammad Rizwan scored 49 to put up a decent score on the board. A complete bowling performance saw Bumrah, Siraj, Hardik, Kuldeep & Jadeja picking 2 wickets apiece.
Rohit Sharma continued his fine form as he unleashed his fury. The Indian skipper scored 86 runs in a flurry and a gritty unbeaten fifty from Shreyas Iyer was enough to seal a comfortable win with almost 20 overs to spare.
Badhsah of World Cup! Shami surpasses Zaheer & Srinath for big record
No chance of Nagin Dance – India win by 7 wickets
Tasked to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a good start with openers Tanzid Hasan & Litton Das scoring fifties. But the Men in Blue roared to get back in form as they triggered a batting collapse for the Bengal Tigers. A late knock from Mahmudullah helped Bangladesh manage 256 runs with Bumrah, Siraj & Jadeja bagging 2 wickets apiece.
Rohit continued his fine form and missed his fifty by 2 runs. Shubman Gill scored a fine half-century and Virat Kohli blew the Bengal Tigers bowling with a thunderous 103 unbeaten knock as India chased down the target with almost 10 overs to spare.
Kiwis Captured in Dharamshala – India win by 4 wickets
In what happened to be the most exciting win of the tournament, India clinched an important victory over the in-form Kiwis. Rachin Ravindra’s 75 and Daryl Mitchell’s 130 helped New Zealand post 273 after 50 overs. On his 2023 World Cup debut, Mohammed Shami roared in form to scalp a fifer.
An overall performance and a late run chase in Dharamshala saw India pick a crucial win. Rohit came close to reaching his fifty while red-hot Virat Kohli missed his 3-digit score and a chance to equal Sachin Tendulkar with 49 ODI runs, fell short by 5 runs as India etched a 4-wicket win with 2 overs to spare.
Perform or Perish! Shreyas Iyer thrives under pressure, wins mini battle with SKY
Defending Champions! Who? – India win by 100 runs
India made it 6 out of 6 wins to comfortably win against England by 100 runs. Batting first, Rohit Sharma yet again continued his fine form and again missed a fifty, this time by 3 runs. Virat Kohli departed for a duck while KL Rahul’s 39 and SKY’s 49 were enough to post 229 runs on the board in a slow & tricky Lucknow pitch.
But the bowling side didn’t show any hint of complacency. Jasprit Bumrah scalped 3, Shami bagged a four-fer, and Kuldeep Yadav 2 wickets to break England’s backbone as the defending champions were bowled out for just 129 runs in 35 overs.
Repeat of Asia Cup 202 Final – India win by 302 runs
India registered a stunning 302-run win against Sri Lanka in Mumbai to officially qualify for the semis of the World Cup. Batting first, India posted a mammoth total of 357 runs. While Rohit Sharma faltered early, Shubman Gill managed 92, Virat Kohli scored 88, and Shreyas Iyer blasted a fiery 82 to damage the Lankans.
In reply, Mohammed Siraj and Shami destroyed the Lankan batting order. Siraj picked a fiery three-fer in the early phase while Shami bagged a fifer as India routed their opponents in an almost exact replication of the Asia Cup 2023 Final.
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