SL VS IND - Match 44, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

India have done what was in their control - getting on top of the points table. Now, they will have to wait for the other result to know who they face in the semifinal. Sri Lanka fared better than most expected them to, beating England and bringing the World Cup alive will be their highlight. That is all from here. But there is a cracking contest going on between Australia and South Africa. All the top four teams will be watching it closely, you do too by switching tabs. Till the first semifinal this is Akshay Maanay bidding goodbye on behalf of Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Kumar Abhisekh Das, Abhinand Raghavendran, Varun Dixit and scorers Vinod/Mukesh. Ta ta!

2/2: The opposition has never mattered. We don't focus on what the opposition brings to the table. If we don't play well anyone can beat us and if we play well we can beat anyone. The focus has to be within and we are confident of our skill sets. We just want to go out there in the semifinal and express our skills and strengths as a team. So regardless of who we will play, we want to play good cricket and get the result our way. He (Hardik Pandya) has been outstanding especially after being under the pump in the first 3-4 games, but he has come back beautifully, so he's really motivated and is thinking like a batsman. He has a gut feel as to what the batter might do, so he's trying different things. Even when he goes out to bat you can see that intent, he's just switched on from ball one. It is amazing to have a cricketer like that who can bring in so much to the table. Hopefully two more performances from him and till now it has been wonderful to see his performances and passion for the team.

Virat Kohli | India captain:(1/2) We wanted to play good cricket. To be honest, we didn't expect this kind of scoreline heading into the semis. But that's what consistent performances and hard work get you. Really proud and happy of our team. Most amazing team to be a part of. It is really a honor to play for India. More or less everything is set. But we don't want to be one dimensional, I think the team that is more flexible on the day has more chances of executing what they want to. Obviously the dimensions and the pitches we play on will matter a lot, so we need a good balance in the side and whatever combination provides us the balance we will go ahead with that and really feel confident if we are batting first or bowling first as we are covered with all dimensions. From that point of view we are happy with where we are placed. It is just about turning up on the semifinal day and putting up a performance.

Dimuth Karunaratne | Sri Lanka captain: I think from 55/4 we had a good partnership between Angelo and Thirimanne, I felt it was a good score. In the first few overs we have batted well but kept losing wickets after that. We had to rebuild the innings and they did that. Rohit and Rahul batted really well. We have to go, sit back and see what went wrong. We have to speak to the selectors and find some new talent. Sri Lankan cricket will miss him (Malinga). He has been a wonderful bowler and the man behind the World Cups. Everyone has to end their circle of chapter but it is a chance for the new guys to put their hands up.

Rohit Sharma, Man of the Match: Not really (thought about scoring five hundreds). Like I have been talking about, going out there and do my job. Not thinking about all these kind of milestones. I know if I play well all these things will happen along the way. My job is to keep my head straight and get my team to the finishing line. The shot selection becomes important once you are in. I have to keep telling myself on what sort of shots I can play on that pitch and what sort of bowlers are bowling to me. I try and calculate how I want to go forward based on that. It has paid dividends so far. There has to be some discipline as well in your batting and I have learned that from my past. What has happened has happened, every day is a new day in cricket. I want to start every day as a fresh day. I come out thinking I have not played any ODIs or scored any hundreds in the tournament. That is the mindset I want to get in and I keep telling myself that. Although people around me keep talking about the hundreds, but that is the challenge as a sportsperson. He (Malinga) has been a champion bowler for Sri Lanka and then for Mumbai Indians. I have had a great time playing with him. He is definitely a match-winner. He has shown it over the years how the teams rely on him. I have seen him in close quarters and the cricket world will miss him. As a team we are not thinking about that (Aus-SA game). We have had a great victory today and we want to celebrate that rather than thinking about what is going on there. Whatever opposition comes our way we will put up a show.

18:00 Local Time, 17:00 GMT, 22:30 IST: Used surface. Very slow track. Sri Lanka defended 232 against England here. Only one side had chased 250+ in this World Cup. Looks like India had not heard any of that especially Rohit and Rahul. The openers went about the chase in a professional manner. Rohit gave a blazing start and Rahul was more than happy to play second fiddle. They went about smashing anything that was slightly off and milking the rest. Rohit got to his fifth hundred in this edition and in the process equalled Tendulkar's World Cup record of six. But he soon threw it away as he has done with his last three tons, Rahul took over and got to his maiden World Cup ton. He too perished looking to finish it quickly and Pant followed him. India's captain Virat Kohli ensured there were no more hiccups and sealed his side's 7th win in the tournament.

Most wins against an opponent (ODI)
91 Aus vs NZ
91 Ind vs SL *
90 Pak vs SL
82 Aus vs Eng
77 Aus vs Ind

Both openers scoring 100+ in a WC inngs
U Tharanga (133) & T Dilshan (144) v Zim Pallekele 2011
U Tharanga (102*) & T Dilshan (108*) v Eng Colombo 2011
Rohit Sharma (103) & KL Rahul (100*) v SL Leeds 2019

Highest opening p'ship for India in World Cups
183*R Sharma - KL Rahul v SL Leeds 2019 *
180 R Sharma - KL Rahul v Ban Edgabston 2019
174 R Sharma - S Dhawan v Ire Hamilton 2015
163 A Jadeja - S Tendulkar v Ken Cuttack 1996
153 S Tendulkar - V Sehwag v SL Joburg 2003

Most 100s in World Cups (100s/inngs)
6/16 ROHIT SHARMA
6/44 Sachin Tendulkar
5/42 Ricky Ponting
5/35 Kumar Sangakkara

Most hundreds in an ODI series/tournament
5 Rohit Sharma (WC 2019)
4 Kumar Sangakkara (WC 2015)

Udana to Hardik Pandya, 1 run, India win by 7 wickets. Handshakes all round. It was the back of the hand slower ball that deviated away, Pandya went with hard hands and the outside edge runs down to third man

Udana to Kohli, 1 run, angled across off, Kohli opens the bat face and dabs it to third man

Udana to Kohli, no run, short of length on off, Kohli is on his toes and drops it gently back down the wicket

Malinga to Hardik Pandya, FOUR, that will be Malinga's last ball in World Cups. A full toss on middle and leg, Pandya stands upright and uses his bottom hand to whip it to deep mid-wicket. He finishes his World Cup campaign with figures - 10-1-82-1

Malinga to Kohli, 1 run, short of length around off, Kohli pulls with a wrist-roll to deep square leg

Malinga to Hardik Pandya, 1 run, nails the yorker and Pandya is hurried into getting his bat down, squirted off the inside edge to backward square leg. Pandya and Malinga share a laugh at the bowler's end

Malinga to Kohli, 1 run, short of length outside off, Kohli opens the bat face and guides it to third man

Malinga to Kohli, wide, spears the full delivery down leg, Kohli cannot lay bat on that and it is called a wide

Malinga to Hardik Pandya, 1 run, slow dipping full delivery, Pandya eaits and eases it towards mid-on

Malinga to Kohli, 1 run, short and around hip height, Kohli swivels and pulls it to fine leg

Hardik Pandya, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Udana to Pant, out Lbw!! Well, it turned out to be a good review in the end. It was taken more in hope. The back of the hand slower ball, Pant is down on his knee to swipe it across the line and is beaten for pace, the ball goes on to strike him on the back thigh and ball-tracking had it hitting the leg-stump. Not sure how though as he was out of the crease and the ball had a fair distance to cover. Nonetheless, India lose another with 12 needed. Pant lbw b Udana 4(4) [4s-1]

Udana to Pant, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!