Pace wins the race

Watching India intimidate and scar an underprepared Sri Lankan side on a seemingly placid Wankhede track on Sunday rekindled fond memories of a World Cup Super Six encounter between the same opponents two decades agoBack then Sourav Gangulyrsquos India was on the verge of qualifying for the semifinals and only had the Lankans to overcome Much like Thursdayrsquos Wankhede duel Indian speedsters spearheaded by former pacer Javagal Srinath ripped the heart out of the islanders dictating the terms in no uncertain manner Sri Lanka tasked to chase a mammoth 358run target lost six wickets for a meagre 56 runsAlso ReadICC World Cup 2023 Afghans look to keep semis hopes aliveSure itrsquos no match to how they fell cheaply to Indiarsquos pace ruthlessness on Sunday succumbing to their second worst batting meltdown against Rohit Sharma and CoLanka left to rue epic collapseIndias winningmargin was their biggest by runs in a World Cup game surpassing their 257run defeat of nonTest nation Bermuda during the 2007 edition in the Caribbean Sri Lankas total did top the 50 all out they made in the recent 10wicket Asia Cup loss by India They also avoided an unwanted record for the lowest total in any oneday international of 35 and the World Cup mark of 36 posted by Canada ironically against Sri Lanka in 2003 These were meagre consolations to the injuryravaged Lankan side suffering their fifth defeat in seven games at this World CupSkipper Kusal Mendis was understandably crestfallen I am very disappointed with the teams performance with myself also They bowled really well little bit of seam movement under lights We missed taking chances from Virat and Gill and sometimes those moments could change the game We have another two games and I hope we come back strong in the next gamerdquo he saidSri Lankas woeful innings featured five noughts with both their openers falling for golden ducks as they slumped to 146 Facing a daunting chase the visitors would have wanted a solid start at the Wankhede Stadium where India beat Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup finalA nearcapacity Wankhede crowd got the most bang from their bucks and became the envy of cricket fans as they witnessed India set up a 302run annihilation but also a semifinal berth The unfaltering humidity in Mumbai was bound to test the Indian batsmen but barring Rohit and Mohammed Shami they stood above it all and played like they owned the ground toying with the Lankan bowling with a mix of nonchalance and brute powerFor the handful of fans donning Sri Lankan jerseys it was exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure exhilarating because strokes of the highest quality were on display all evening and exhausting because their team were bundled out for their lowest World Cup totalKohli in 2023 Tendulkar in 2003Perhaps more than anything else throughout the sevenhour contest most fans found it difficult to recover from the sad spectacle of talismanic Virat Kohli missing out on a welldeserving 49th ODI hundred for the second timeThere hardly goes a day when the 34yearold is not compared to Sachin Tendulkar but on Thursday he was a little more like the legendary righthanded batter from 2003Kohli who missed the three digit mark by 12 runs offered a declaration of intent from the very first ball he faced He continued in the same irrepressible mood for the next 60 minutes dominating so completely that India scored faster with him on the crease The carnage went on until he met with a soft end while lobbing a straight catch to cover and was forced to surrender to the young Dilshan Madushanka Notably Kohlirsquos 88 was nine runs short of Tendulkarrsquos 97But lsquoallrsquos well that ends wellrsquoIt appears meanwhile that India cannot get enough of their pacers rattling the opposition irrespective of the toss outcome On Thursday their troika of Mohammed Shami Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah sent the Lankan batsmen scurrying for cover with a fast bowling exhibition that will be remembered for decadesAll you need is pace to winShami took his second fivewicket haul in this edition and with 45 scalps became Indias highest wickettaker in World Cup history Siraj was equally incisive and Bumrah formidable as ever in what appeared to be a pictureperfect pace bowling performanceAs the Indian juggernaut rolls on every performance seems like a dream played on a loopWill the Proteas meet the same fate this Sunday Not time but speed will tell