SAJEEWA BUDDHIKA
COLOMBO – In a crucial bid to secure a spot in next year’s Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka faces off against New Zealand in their final ICC World Cup league match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Thursday.
The stakes are high for New Zealand too, as they approach this match akin to a quarter-final showdown. With only 8 points secured so far, a victory is imperative for them to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Ahead of the game, concerns loomed over potential late weather disturbances, particularly the threat of rain. New Zealand’s captain, Kane Williamson, won the toss and chose to bowl first, citing the wet conditions and the readiness of the pitch with the support of super soppers. As a strategic change, Lockie Ferguson replaced Ish Sodhi in the New Zealand lineup.
“I’ve decided to bowl first today. The conditions are a bit damp, and we’re using super soppers to prep the ground. It seems easier to bowl first. Lockie Ferguson is in for Ish Sodhi,” mentioned Kane Williamson.
On the other side, Sri Lanka’s think tank had also planned to bowl first had they won the toss.
“I preferred to bowl first. Unfortunately, we lost the toss. But I’m not too concerned. The pitch looks good. We aim to set a solid total on the board,” stated Sri Lanka’s captain, Kusal Mendis.
This game holds paramount significance for Sri Lanka in their quest to qualify for the next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan. To achieve this, they not only need a win but also to secure it with a better run rate.
“Today’s game is very important. New Zealand is a composed team. There’s no pressure. Our team has improved after the last game. I believe the team will perform well,” expressed Mendis.
In light of recent bowling strategies, where Chameera and Madushanka have been handling the Power Plays in seam-friendly conditions and Kasun Rajitha’s less effective performance in the middle overs in the last few games, Sri Lanka made a change, replacing Rajitha with Chamika Karunaratne, a medium-pacer and batsman.
“We’ve made one change today. Kasun Rajitha isn’t playing, and Chamika Karunaratne is in,” confirmed Mendis.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (c & wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.
New Zealand Playing XI: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson (c), 4 Daryl Michell, 5 Mark Chapman, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Tom Latham (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent Boult.
Umpires: Adrian Holdstock (SA), Joel Wilso (WI).
TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
Reserve Umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)
Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
