Mohammed Siraj helped the Indian national team confidently defeat Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final. He showcased devastating bowling with swing and seam, recording figures of 6 wickets for 21 runs in seven overs, and Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 50. In response, India completed the chase in just 6.1 overs, clinching the Asia Cup title for the eighth time.
Indeed, the overall outcome was somewhat predictable, as all bookmakers, including Pinup bet, considered India the match favorite. However, the style and the final result cannot be underestimated. Here are some key figures from the game that underscore its magnitude:
50 – Sri Lanka’s score in Colombo is the lowest by any team against India in men’s ODIs. The previous lowest was 58 by Bangladesh in 2014 in Mirpur.
1 – The number of times Sri Lanka has scored below 50 in men’s ODIs. Their lowest score is 43 against South Africa in an ODI in 2012 in Paarl. This is also the second-lowest ODI score in Sri Lanka, after the 38 against Zimbabwe in 2001.
1 – Sri Lanka’s total of 50 is also the lowest by any team in a men’s ODI final. The previous lowest was 54 by India against Sri Lanka in the 2000 Champions Trophy final.
6 for 21 – Siraj’s bowling figures against Sri Lanka are now the second-best for any bowler in a men’s Asia Cup ODI. Ajantha Mendis’s 6 for 16 against India in the 2008 final remains the best.
3 – The number of bowlers with better figures in a men’s ODI final than Siraj. Only Aqib Javed’s 7 for 37 against India in 1991 has managed more than six wickets in a men’s ODI final. Siraj’s 6 for 21 is also the fourth-best figures by an Indian bowler in men’s ODIs.
16 – The number of balls Siraj needed to complete his five-wicket haul. He now shares the record with two other players (considering only matches with official statistics). Chaminda Vaas took 16 balls for his first five against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup, and Ali Khan of the USA also took five in 16 balls against Jersey earlier this year.
4 – The number of wickets for Siraj in the third over of the Sri Lankan innings. He has now become the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in an over in men’s international matches. Since 2002, three other bowlers have achieved four wickets in an over in men’s ODIs – Vaas against Bangladesh in 2003, Mohammad Sami against New Zealand in 2003, and Adil Rashid against West Indies in 2019.
15.2 – Number of overs batted by Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final. This is the second shortest innings for a full member team in men’s ODIs. The shortest is Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for 54 in 13.5 overs against Afghanistan in 2017. Overall, this is the fifth shortest innings in men’s ODIs.
12 – Sri Lanka’s score when the sixth wicket fell. Only once has a team lost its sixth wicket at a lower score in men’s ODIs – 10 by Canada against the Netherlands in 2013. Canada also lost their sixth wicket at 12 against Sri Lanka in 2003.
129 – The total number of balls the Asia Cup final lasted – the third shortest completed match in men’s ODIs. Only one match in 2020 between Nepal and the USA lasted just 104 balls, and an ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in 2001 in Colombo lasted 120 balls.
263 – The number of balls remaining when India reached their target of 51 runs, making it their largest victory in terms of balls remaining in a men’s ODI and the largest victory by any team against Sri Lanka. It’s also the sixth largest win by any team in terms of balls remaining in men’s ODIs.
