Ishan Kishan and the bowlers inspired defending champions India to a 124-run win over Sri Lanka in the Asian Games semi-final, setting up a gold medal clash with arch-rivals Pakistan.
After being put in to bat, India posted 169/7, with Ishan Kishan top-scoring with an unbeaten 80. Their bowlers then ran through Sri Lanka's batting line-up, bowling them out for just 45 in 9.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah gave India the perfect start, picking up two wickets in the opening over while conceding just one run. Lasith Croospulle was then run out without facing a ball, leaving Sri Lanka three wickets down inside two overs.
Captain Sahan Arachchige attempted to counter-attack, hitting Axar Patel for two sixes in the latter's opening over. However, Axar hit back in his second over, dismissing Arachchige and Ashen Bandara with successive deliveries to bowl a double-wicket maiden. Nuwanidu Fernando briefly threatened with two sixes before being run out in the fifth over. Washington Sundar then dismissed Wanuja Sahan in his next over.
Sri Lanka's innings then collapsed in the 10th over, with three wickets falling in three balls. Tharindu Ratnayake was run out, while Chamika Karunaratne and Binura Fernando were dismissed by Abhishek Sharma.
Earlier, Kishan's unbeaten 80 helped India post a competitive total after a shaky start. Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened for India, but the holders lost Abhishek for seven off three balls in the second over. Sanju Samson also fell for seven in the third over, bringing skipper Shreyas Iyer to the crease. Iyer and Sooryavanshi added 35 runs before Sahan Arachchige dismissed the teenager for 38 shortly after the powerplay.
Iyer also departed in the 10th over after making just 13 runs. Axar Patel, who was sent in ahead of Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube, also struggled and was dismissed by Croospulle for eight. Kishan then began to accelerate, finding the boundary regularly as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. He brought up his half-century with a six.
His composed innings of 80* included four fours and five sixes as India finished on 169/7.
India will now face Pakistan in the gold medal match on Saturday, October 3.
