Pace wins the race

Watching India intimidate and scar an under-prepared Sri Lankan side on a seemingly placid Wankhede track on Sunday rekindled fond memories of a World Cup Super Six encounter between the same opponents two decades ago.

Back then, Sourav Ganguly's India was on the verge of qualifying for the semi-finals and only had the Lankans to overcome. Much like Thursday's Wankhede duel, Indian speedsters, spearheaded by former pacer Javagal Srinath, ripped the heart out of the islanders, dictating the terms in no uncertain manner. Sri Lanka, tasked to chase a mammoth 358-run target, lost six wickets for a meagre 56 runs.

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Sure, it's no match to how they fell cheaply to India's pace ruthlessness on Sunday, succumbing to their second worst batting meltdown against Rohit Sharma and Co.

Lanka left to rue epic collapse

India's winning-margin was their biggest, by runs, in a World Cup game surpassing their 257-run defeat of non-Test nation Bermuda during the 2007 edition in the Caribbean. Sri Lanka's total did top the 50 all out they made in the recent 10-wicket Asia Cup loss by India. They also avoided an unwanted record for the lowest total in any one-day international of 35 and the World Cup mark of 36, posted by Canada ironically against Sri Lanka in 2003. These were meagre consolations to the injury-ravaged Lankan side suffering their fifth defeat in seven games at this World Cup.

Skipper Kusal Mendis was understandably crestfallen. "I am very disappointed with the team's performance, with myself also. They bowled really well, little bit of seam movement under lights. We missed taking chances from Virat and Gill and sometimes those moments could change the game. We have another two games and I hope we come back strong in the next game," he said.

Sri Lanka's woeful innings featured five noughts, with both their openers falling for golden ducks as they slumped to 14-6. Facing a daunting chase, the visitors would have wanted a solid start at the Wankhede Stadium -- where India beat Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final.

A near-capacity Wankhede crowd got the most bang from their bucks and became the envy of cricket fans as they witnessed India set up a 302-run annihilation but also a semi-final berth. The unfaltering humidity in Mumbai was bound to test the Indian batsmen but, barring Rohit and Mohammed Shami, they stood above it all and played like they owned the ground, toying with the Lankan bowling with a mix of nonchalance and brute power.

For the handful of fans donning Sri Lankan jerseys, it was exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure - exhilarating because strokes of the highest quality were on display all evening and exhausting because their team were bundled out for their lowest World Cup total.

Kohli in 2023, Tendulkar in 2003

Perhaps more than anything else, throughout the seven-hour contest, most fans found it difficult to recover from the sad spectacle of talismanic Virat Kohli missing out on a well-deserving 49th ODI hundred for the second time.

There hardly goes a day when the 34-year-old is not compared to Sachin Tendulkar, but on Thursday, he was a little more like the legendary right-handed batter from 2003.

Kohli, who missed the three digit mark by 12 runs, offered a declaration of intent from the very first ball he faced. He continued in the same irrepressible mood for the next 60 minutes, dominating so completely that India scored faster with him on the crease. The carnage went on until he met with a soft end while lobbing a straight catch to cover and was forced to surrender to the young Dilshan Madushanka. Notably, Kohli's 88 was nine runs short of Tendulkar's 97.

But, ‘all's well that ends well'.

It appears, meanwhile, that India cannot get enough of their pacers rattling the opposition, irrespective of the toss outcome. On Thursday, their troika of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah sent the Lankan batsmen scurrying for cover with a fast bowling exhibition that will be remembered for decades.

All you need is pace to win

Shami took his second five-wicket haul in this edition and with 45 scalps, became India's highest wicket-taker in World Cup history. Siraj was equally incisive and Bumrah formidable as ever in what appeared to be a picture-perfect pace bowling performance.

As the Indian juggernaut rolls on, every performance seems like a dream played on a loop.

Will the Proteas meet the same fate this Sunday? Not time, but speed will tell.