SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
Sri Lanka is eager to secure its first victory in the World Cup during its day game against the Netherlands. The Sri Lankan team made two important changes in their lineup for this match, bringing in leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha instead of Dunith Wellalage, who is playing his first World Cup match, and Kasun Rajitha instead of Lahiru Kumara. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ captain, Scott Edwards, has chosen to bat first in their fourth ICC Cricket World Cup match at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
Sri Lanka’s captain, Kusal Mendis, explained the reason for the changes, saying, “We have two injuries with Dasun and Matheesha, but we have capable players in both batting and bowling. We have seen some positive signs from our previous matches. Our opening pair performed well in the last game, and our top-order batsmen have shown good form in the first couple of games.” Mendis also expressed his enjoyment in both batting and wicket-keeping, and he is relishing his role as the team’s captain.
On the other side, Netherlands’ skipper Scott Edwards won the toss and elected to bat. He expressed his confidence in the decision, saying, “We are going to bat first. The weather is lovely, and the pitch appears to be in good condition. We played reasonably well in the previous match, so there are no changes for today’s game.”
The weather in Lucknow is bright and sunny, with some grass on the pitch. The playing surface is made of red soil, which cricket experts believe could favor the seam bowlers. They expect the pitch to become more suitable for batting during the second innings.
Sri Lanka and the Netherlands are set to clash in what promises to be an exciting match in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka’s team hopes that the changes in their lineup will bring them their first World Cup win, while the Netherlands aims to build on their recent performances to secure victory in this crucial match.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (C & WK), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dushan Hemantha, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.
Netherlands Playing XI: Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’ Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Scott Edowards (C & WK), 7 Sybrand Engelbreacht, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeran.
Umpires: Ashan Raza (Pakistan), Marais Erasmus (South Africa)
TV Umpire: Rod Tucker (Australia)
Reserve Umpire: Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand)
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)
