• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Watch Sirajs Fiery Ball Sends Sadeera Samarawickrama Packing For A Duck

[Watch] Siraj's Fiery Ball Sends Sadeera Samarawickrama Packing For A Duck

image-loh8unz9Mohammed Siraj bowled a sensational opening spell (Twitter)

The Wankhede Stadium roared to life as the Indian pacers unleashed a storm of pace and precision on an unsuspecting Sri Lankan batting lineup.

As the Sri Lankans chased a Goliath target of 359 runs in Match 33 of the World Cup 2023, they found themselves floundering at a dismal 2/3 within the opening two overs.

IND vs SL: Siraj's perfect ball led to Samarawickrama's departure

Mohammed Siraj, the name on every Indian fan's lips, was the architect of this early devastation, continuing his formidable form against the Islanders from the Asia Cup 2023.

Having already dispatched the Sri Lankan skipper, Dimuth Karunaratne for a golden duck, Siraj was brimming with a lethal mix of confidence and pace. With aggression, Siraj steamed in for the fifth delivery of his second over.

The ball, a menacing short-of-a-length demon, zipped off the surface just outside off-stump. Samarawickrama, who had been in sublime form leading up to this match, looked to counter with a punch off the back foot, hoping to pierce the offside field. 

Alas, his execution stuttered against Siraj’s skills. Playing away from the body, Samarawickrama's attempt was anything but sure-footed, resulting in a thick outside edge.

The ball flew towards the third slip, where Shreyas Iyer swooped in to complete a sharp. Samarawickrama trudged off the field, his four-ball duck a stark contrast to the expectations placed upon him.


Furthermore, Kusal Mendis was bowled by Siraj for a solitary run. As Angelo Mathews and Charith Asalanka find themselves at the crease, the Herculean task of navigating the stormy waters to reach 359 seemed all but a mirage.

Earlier in the day, after being invited to bat first, it was the Indian batsmen who had set the stage. Shubman Gill's sublime 92 along with Virat Kohli's robust 88 and Shreyas Iyer's explosive 82, had catapulted India to a formidable 357 for 8.

Can the Sri Lankan middle order engineer an escape from the tight shackles placed by the Indian pace battery, or will India secure their berth in the semi-final? Only time will tell but India is sure on top to win this contest.