<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">India celebrated the 10-wicket thrashing of Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final as "a booster shot" Monday for the one-day World Cup starting on home soil in a fortnight.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj got four wickets in one over to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 50 on Sunday, a total the Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill surpassed in 6.1 overs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was India's eighth Asia Cup crown but first major tournament title since winning the same competition in 2018.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Siraj's dream spell ended India's five-year title drought," The Times of India wrote.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The India Express called it a "Booster shot before World Cup" and praised what it called the team's "clinical and ruthless" performance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Triumph lifts India's morale... just in time for the mega-event," it added, referring to the World Cup, which starts on October 5.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where the final took place, the mood was gloomy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Abject surrender of Asia Cup by Sri Lanka," said a headline in the daily FT newspaper.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The home team were bowled out in just 15.2 overs with Siraj ripping through the Sri Lankan batting with his 6-21.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sri Lanka were playing their 11th Asia Cup final but the 116-minute humiliation left fans disappointed and angry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One fan complained in a video post on social media that Sri Lanka were all out even before he could get to his seat at the 35,000-capacity Premadasa stadium.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another on social media said the Sri Lankan innings lasted less than the time taken to drink a bottle of arak, the island nation's firewater spirit made from fermented coconut or sugarcane.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Colombo's Daily Mirror said the final was a "mismatch between two opponents in completely different weight classes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"As heavyweights India completely battered, bruised, bloodied and bashed-in Sri Lanka's flyweight batting line-up for an emphatic 10-wicket win." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>