Men’s ODI WC: Pacers on fire; Bumrah, Siraj first opening bowlers to each take a wicket on first ball

Mumbai: India’s pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Shami struck in the first over of their spell against Sri Lanka with Bumrah and Siraj becoming the first opening pair to take wickets off their first deliveries.

While Bumrah claimed one wicket, Siraj and Shami bagged two wickets each in their first overs as Sri Lanka ended the powerplay with a paltry score of 14/6.

Bumrah started the carnage by taking a wicket off the first ball, trapping Pathum Nissanka lbw with one that moved back in to strike the back pad, handing the Sri Lankan opener a golden duck.

Siraj followed suit, striking with his first delivery as he trapped Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for a golden ball duck, the ball moving away with the angle and beating the edge to catch the batter below the knee on the crease. Just like Nissanka, Karunaratne also reviewed the decision but could not get the decision of the on-field umpire overturned.

Saraj got his second wicket of the over when Sadeera Samarawickrama chased a wide one and nicked it to Shreyas Iyer at third slip.

Sri Lanka were four down for three runs when skipper Kusal Mendis was castled by Siraj off the first delivery of his second over, as the ball straightened late to beat the edge and hit the top of the off-stump.

Just like Siraj, Shami too claimed two wickets in his first over.

He sent back Charith Asalanka (1) off the third ball of his opening over, as the batter slashes at a short and wide delivery to hand Ravindra Jadeja a catch at backward point.

He made it two in two balls when Dushan Hemantha pushed at a good length ball outside off and behind to Rahul, becoming the third Sri Lankan batter to get a first-ball duck on Thursday.

Shami claimed the third wicket of the day thanks to DRS when the ultra edge showed Dushmantha Chameera (0) had gloved a delivery going down leg-side to keeper KL Rahul, making it seven down for 22 runs.

It was a brilliant display of pace bowling on a two-pace wicket, which tends to help the batters after the initial period, by the Indian pacers who left the Sri Lankan batters clueless. The Sri Lankans also did not apply themselves as some of them chased wide deliveries when they should have left them untouched.

–IANS