Team India scored another dominating win over Sri Lanka on Thursday in the World Cup encounter. It was a comprehensive victory for the home side, who batted first and posted a mammoth total of 357/8. Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 55 runs in reply, their second-lowest total in ODI cricket.
India's innings were built on a solid foundation laid by Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. Gill scored a fluent 92 off 92 balls, while Virat joined Gill after Rohit Sharma’s early departure and the duo put on a magnificent 189-run partnership for the second wicket. Kohli fell 12 runs short of a century, but Shreyas Iyer continued the onslaught with a breezy 82.
In reply, Sri Lanka's batting collapsed spectacularly. They lost their first five wickets for just 10 runs, and never recovered from there. Mohammed Shami was the wrecker-in-chief for India, picking up 5 wickets at an economy of 3.60 in just 5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah contributed with a single wicket and Mohammad Siraj scalped three.
Team India’s next challenge will be the South Africa who are also in fabulous form with only one loss and a win over teams like Australia, England, and New Zealand. South Africa is running a neck-to-neck competition with team India and they won’t be an easy team to dominate for men in blue.
Here is a list of battles that are expected to take place among the players when these two teams meet on Sunday. The top bookmakers in India have World Cup odds with them.
Marco Jansen vs Rohit Sharma
Marco Jansen and Rohit Sharma are two of the most exciting players in the ongoing tournament. Marco Jansen is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in the World Cup with 16 wickets in hand in 7 fixtures at an economy of 5.83.
The Indian skipper, on the other hand, is currently the fifth-highest scorer in the tournament with 402 runs in 7 fixtures at an average of 57.42. Jansen made his ODI debut in 2022 and he has picked up 34 wickets in 21 fixtures at an average of 29.7 while maintaining his economy at 6.10. He is an interesting prospect for the Proteas and will try to decimate the opening lineup of Team India.
Rohit Sharma has been in ferocious form since the start of the tournament and he has scored three half-centuries and a century in the tournament. Rohit Sharma facing one of the best bowlers on Sunday will be a treat to watch.
Mohammad Shami vs Quinton de Kock
There were apprehensions at the beginning of the World Cup and hence Shami was on the bench for the first few matches. However, the moment he got a chance, proved his critics wrong and now has become a player to watch out for.
With two five-wicket hauls, Shami is currently the sixth-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets. His primary target with the new ball will be to get rid of the highest scorer of the World Cup Quinton de Kock.
De Kock is playing his last ODI World Cup and he is making memories in every game. He is at the top of the charts with 545 runs in 7 fixtures at an average of 77.85. It will be interesting to see both players coming face to face on Sunday.
Virat Kohli vs Tabraiz Shamsi
Shamsi is a left-arm leg-spinner who is known for his ability to spin the ball both ways and take wickets in the middle overs. He is one of the most successful leg spinners in the world, and he is a major threat to batsmen in all three formats.
His target will be to get rid of India’s leading run-scorer Virat Kohli in the middle overs. Virat is a master of playing spin attack and he is currently the second-highest scorer in the tournament with 442 runs in 7 innings at an average of 88.40.
He is one of the most destructive batsmen in the world right now but Shamsi carries the best average in South Africa’s bowling unit and the rivalry between the two will be a major attraction on Sunday.
