SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
COLOMBO: In a crucial ICC World Cup match set for Monday, October 16th, Sri Lanka, recovering from a difficult start, will go up against Australia. The Sri Lankan team is making two important changes, one in their batting lineup and another in their bowling attack.
Reports suggest that 20-year-old bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who struggled with his bowling performance in the first two games, is dealing with a minor arm injury and won’t be available for selection. Given the pitch conditions at Lucknow, the team is contemplating the inclusion of either fast bowler Lahiru Kumara or the disciplined medium-pacer Kasun Rajitha, known for his ability to swing the ball.
On the batting front, Kusal Perera , who has played just four matches in the last two years, had a tough time in the first two high-scoring games of the World Cup. He seemed uncomfortable at the crease, facing issues with timing, shot selection, and body language. His inability to perform put pressure on the team’s top order.
The team’s hopes now seem to rest on Dimuth Karunaratne, who will need to play the role of a sheet anchor in the batting lineup. Sri Lanka has been struggling with losing wickets at regular intervals, except for the solid partnerships of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Currently, after two matches, Sri Lanka finds itself in the seventh position on the points table. The island nation has a net run rate of -1.161. In contrast, Australia, after facing defeats in two low-scoring innings, occupies the ninth position, with only Afghanistan trailing behind in the 10-team tournament.
At this stage, four unbeaten teams – South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Pakistan – hold the top four positions in the points table. Only four teams will advance to the playoff stage after playing nine games each.
Interestingly, despite Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Australia, and Afghanistan all having lost both their matches, Sri Lanka’s net run rate places them ahead of the other three teams in the standings.
