ICC World Cup: India to take on Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
In ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, India will take on Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai this afternoon. The match will start at 2 PM. India are currently on the second position in the points table with 12 points, after winning all their six matches. On the other hand, Sri Lanka are at the seventh position with only 4 points from two matches that they won in the tournament.
The World Cup, the Wankhede, and the Lankans. There’s a compellingly resonating familiarity, isn’t it? It was April 2, 2011 then; it will be November 2, 2023 now.
Much water has flown into the Arabian Sea since, but little seems to have changed. India are once again the rolling juggernaut and Sri Lanka will have their task cut out, much like it was on that fateful night at this very venue 12 years ago.
The echoes of history may indeed resurface, albeit with a somewhat diminished glory this time around for the home team. While the World Cup itself is not on the line, a spot in the semifinals awaits the home team. They’ve seemed like a shoo-in for a top-four position ever since their remarkable victory against Australia, emerging from an exceptionally adverse, difficult, and challenging position in the tournament-opener. India’s campaign has been brimmeth with authority since.
The Indian team has displayed clockwork precision in nearly all aspects – batting, bowling, and fielding. While they’ve been in top form, there have been occasional hiccups, such as Shreyas Iyer’s recent struggles with the bat and Mohammed Siraj’s rather under par performance with the new ball. However, these issues can potentially be addressed in the game on Thursday.
As a local player on his home ground, Iyer has the opportunity to work out his problems and rediscover his form in familiar surroundings. Facing short-pitched deliveries has been a challenge for him, but he has had extended net sessions to address the issue. There have been sporadic suggestions that he should make way for someone like Ishan Kishan, but the team management, led by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, is unlikely to tamper with the batting order.
Siraj’s recent performance with the new ball has not been very impressive but the team management is likely to persist with him too. Besides, the prospect of facing Sri Lanka might help him regain his form. Not too long ago, in the Asia Cup final, he single-handedly decimated the Sri Lankan team, which should serve as a positive memory for the bowler.
Having come from a defeat against Afghanistan and virtually out reckoning for a last-four berth, save the outside mathematical possibility, everything seems lost for Sri Lanka, and that could be the only positive for them. That may allow them to play freely.
Squads:
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Kusal Perera
India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan
