In a little while, Sri Lanka is going to face the host India, the top favorite team of this year’s ODI Cricket World Cup. The match will start at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from 2.30 pm Bangladesh time.
India led by Rohit Sharma has already confirmed the semi-finals after playing 6 matches and winning all 6. They are currently second in the points table. If they beat Sri Lanka today, India will go to the top of the table.
On the other hand, a survival battle lies ahead for Sri Lanka, emerging from bankruptcy. They played 6 matches and lost 4 of them. If they want to survive, they have no choice but to win all the remaining matches including today’s match.
Even if they win all the matches, Sri Lanka will face a tough equation. Because, on the other hand, Australia and New Zealand, which are number three and four in the points table, are ahead in the semi race.
Sri Lanka will have to rely on luck to defeat either of these two teams to go to the semis. Because, Australia-New Zealand must lose each of their remaining matches. And win all of them.
But that path is very difficult. Because, if Australia-New Zealand wins one match each, their path to the semis will be much easier. And if you win two, the calculation ends there.
New Zealand, who were in great form in the first round, have two matches and Australia, who started badly and suddenly came into form, have three matches. As a result, it is virtually impossible for Sri Lanka to top these two teams and reach the semis.
But luck cannot be said. Accidents can happen at any time on a 22 yard pitch. That precedent has been seen many times in the cricket field.
Meanwhile, India and Sri Lanka are evenly matched in the ODI World Cup. 9 times India won four, Sri Lanka won four. One match was inconclusive. Let’s see what happens today.
Before that, let’s see who is in the list of 15 members of the two teams.
India squad
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Shreyas Layer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Siraj and Shardul Thakur.
Sri Lanka Squad
Kushal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dushmanth Samira, Dhananjaya De Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madusanka, Angelo Mathews, Pathum Nishanka, Kushal Perara, Kashun Rajitha, Sadira Samaravikrama, Mahesh Takshana and Dinuth Oleg.
(02 November/AJ)