India crush Sri Lanka by 124 runs to set up Asian Games gold clash against Pakistan

India’s Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with his teammates after taking the wicket of Sineth Jayawardena of Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: India produced a dominant all-round performance to crush Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the second men’s cricket semi-final of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday, setting up a thrilling gold medal clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday.After posting 169/7 on the swing pitch, India tore through Sri Lanka’s batting line-up with a devastating new-ball burst to bowl them out for just 45 in 9.5 overs. The defending champions’ bowlers never allowed Sri Lanka to settle in the chase, with Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma leading the charge.Pakistan had earlier booked their place in the final after beating Bangladesh by six wickets in the rain-shortened first semi-final.Scorecard: India vs Sri Lanka, Asian Games Semi Final

Bumrah, Axar caused Sri Lanka’s collapse

Defending 170, India got off to an explosive start as Bumrah struck twice in his opening over. A run-out in the second over added to Sri Lanka’s woes as they lost three wickets almost immediately.Axar then tightened the screws in the fourth over, picking up two wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 18/5. With the pitch offering considerable help to the spinners, the chase quickly turned into a parade.Asian Games full coverage | Medal Tally | ScheduleSri Lanka continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and had no answer to India’s disciplined attack. Abhishek eventually completed the demolition job, taking two wickets in two balls to end the innings on 45.The margin of victory underlined India’s complete control of the semi-finals and ensured the defending champions advanced to Saturday’s gold match without facing a serious powerplay challenge.

Kishan, Sooryavanshi saving India

India were also tested with the bat after Sri Lanka opted to bowl first. The spin conditions made it difficult to produce strikes and Sri Lanka used spin almost exclusively during the early part of the innings.Abhishek Sharma fell for seven after hitting a six, while Sanju Samson was dismissed for seven by two-way spinner Tharindu Ratnayake.However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided the spark India needed. The 15-year-old smashed 38 off just 21 balls, peppering Sri Lanka’s attack with some trademark stroke play before falling to Sahan Arachchige.His innings included six fours and two sixes and helped India reach 58/2 in the powerplay. But wickets continued to fall, with captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel also departing as the Sri Lankan spinners kept the pressure on.The finish was left to Ishan Kishan. The left-hander remained unbeaten on 80 off 46 balls, attacking the spinners down the ground and finding the boundary regularly. Four of his sixes came between long-on and long-off, while he also hit four fours.Kishan’s composed attack saw India reach a competitive 169/7, which proved to be more than enough once Bumrah and the spinners got to work.

Pakistan await in the gold medal clash

India’s reward for the overall victory is Saturday’s highly watched final against Pakistan. The two sides will now meet for the gold medal at the Asian Games, the next chapter in their long-running sporting rivalry.For India, the semi-final offered a reminder of their depth across both departments. Kishan and Sooryavanshi provided the impetus with the bat, while Bumrah’s early strikes and Axar’s double strike ensured that Sri Lanka’s chase never got going.Attention now shifts to the final where India will try to complete their campaign with gold against Pakistan.