India to face Sri Lanka in Asia Cup final

COLOMBO: Asia Cup defending champions Sri Lanka will face India in the 2023 final in Colombo on Sunday (today).

Sri Lanka did not start the tournament as favourites in the presence of Pakistan and a strong Indian team but have managed to make the most of playing at home.

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by two wickets in the Super 4 stage to set up a meeting with India in Sunday’s final at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. They will look to match India’s record of seven Asia Cup titles in their second consecutive final.

Ahead of the final, Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka praised his relatively young and underrated side. “The players have fought all the way and it’s a big deal for us to be in the final for two consecutive years,” he said in his pre-match comments on Saturday.

It was Sri Lanka’s three spinners who bagged all the Indian wickets during their Super 4 match, which India won by 41 runs, with breakout star Dunith Wellalage removing five of India’s six top-order batters.

The 20-year-old has swiftly become a crowd favourite with this skilled left-arm spin and promising batting. He has been marked as one for the future by cricket fans and experts.

Despite the home team’s spin threat, India will be encouraged by the form of their top-order batters, three of whom have scored centuries in the last two matches. Opener Shubman Gill, who had not scored a century since January, was India’s top-scorer against Bangladesh.

India has made a late change to their Asia Cup squad ahead of the final as Washington Sundar has been named as a replacement for Axar Patel.

Sundar has already arrived in Colombo and has linked up with the squad. Axar Patel sustained a left quadriceps strain during India’s match against Bangladesh and will miss the final.

Axar scored 42 from 34 balls, which included three fours and two sixes. The southpaw copped multiple blows during the innings but kept the fight going to keep India in the hunt.

India and Sri Lanka have played more ODI (166) matches against each other than any other two opponents. India has won 97 of these and Sri Lanka 57, with 11 ending in “no result” and one in a tie. Their record in the Asia Cup is even as both teams have won 11 matches apiece.