Cricket World Cup 2023: India crush Sri Lanka to reach semi-finals and remain unbeaten

A sensational bowling performance saw India dismiss Sri Lanka for just 55 to secure a World Cup semi-final spot.

Sri Lanka were set a World Cup record 358 to win in Mumbai but dismally slumped to 14-6 inside 10 overs.

They managed to avoid the lowest one-day international total of 35, but Mohammed Shami claimed 5-18 to wrap up a crushing 302-run win in 19.4 overs.

India had posted an imposing 357-8 after Shubman Gill made 92, Virat Kohli added 88 and Shreyas Iyer smacked 82.

While many of Sri Lanka's batting woes were the result of outstanding bowling from India, they were also left to rue a sloppy fielding performance that saw Gill dropped on eight and Kohli on 10.

After India captain Rohit Sharma fell second ball, Gill and Kohli put on 189 to take control as the Sri Lankan bowling attack wilted in the heat, making Kusal Mendis' curious decision to bowl first even more questionable.

Shreyas added to the punishment late on, entertaining the raucous crowd with a brutal 56-ball knock that contained six sixes, including the longest of the tournament so far at 106 metres.

The noise only increased with every Sri Lankan wicket that tumbled, Shami becoming India's leading World Cup wicket-taker in the process, with 45 scalps in just 14 matches.

For Sri Lanka, seamer Dilshan Madushanka's 5-80 was their only positive, taking him top of the World Cup wicket-taking charts on 18.

India have cruised into the semi-finals unbeaten, returning to the top of the table before an intriguing clash against in-form South Africa on Sunday.

Sri Lanka's qualification hopes are not mathematically over but they need to win their remaining two games and rely on other results going their way.

Few would have bet against India cruising into the semi-finals, with their home advantage and stellar form leading into the tournament.

But this demolition was their most astonishing result yet, a thoroughly one-sided encounter that saw Sri Lanka on top for only one ball all day - the second delivery, when Madushanka splattered Rohit's stumps.

In truth, the result felt inevitable before that when Mendis chose to bowl first, but India will be delighted at how ruthlessly they secured a seventh victory in a row and their biggest World Cup win.

After scoring 357, their largest World Cup total on home soil, despite a rare failure from the in-form Rohit, they had the game essentially won inside four overs of the chase when Sri Lanka slumped to 3-4 - and that was before Shami had even come on to bowl.

Jasprit Bumrah's ferocious opening spell kickstarted the carnage, pinning Pathum Nissanka lbw with the first ball as Sri Lanka's chase started horrendously.

Mohammed Siraj's hostile pace, bounce and swing saw Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama depart in a scarcely-believable second over of the innings, before Mendis was bowled in Siraj's next.

India's bowlers have starred throughout this tournament but two batters due some runs - Gill and Shreyas - also stepped up here.

Gill capitalised when Charith Asalanka could not hang on to a catch at point, and looked back to his free-flowing, elegant best with impeccably-timed cover drives and lofted sixes down the ground.

Shreyas was more destructive, making the most of the platform set by the top order to punish a tiring Sri Lanka, whose heads dropped further with every six that sailed into the stands.

India's day could only have been better had Kohli made 12 more runs to equal the ODI record of 49 centuries held by Sachin Tendulkar, who was watching in the stands.

With each game, India look increasingly formidable and have very few holes in their line-up to expose.

Their adoring fans will just be hoping that those cracks do not appear when it matters most.

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis: "I'm very disappointed. We had reasons for wanting to bowl first, the wicket was a bit slow. Unfortunately, there was then a little bit of seam and swing which made it difficult to play at night.

"The Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli chances are very difficult but if you take them maybe the game is changed."

India captain Rohit Sharma: "We're very happy knowing we have officially qualified.

"It's been a good effort from the entire squad, it has been clinical, we've wanted individuals to put their hands up.

"If there is something in the conditions, they [my seamers] are quite lethal with the ball. They are very pleasing to watch."

Former England spinner Alex Hartley on BBC Test Match Special: "India look like a well-rounded team, they've got every base covered.

"They are by far and away the strongest team in this competition and they've got the advantage of playing at home as well - the crowd are behind every single movement they make."