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Glenn Maxwell’s masterclass against Afghanistan has ensured that New Zealand stay in the No.4 spot in the Cricket World Cup standings, but the Black Caps will need to push on to give themselves the best possible chance at making the knockout stages of the event.
With Pakistan and Afghanistan breathing down their necks, only an emphatic victory against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru can give some relief to Kane Williamson & Co. While a loss wouldn’t rule them out yet, the Kiwis would then leave their fate solely to other results going their way.
In what has been a topsy-turvy tournament so far, New Zealand won four games on the trot before losing to India. The side hasn’t won a game since and would love to overturn that sequence against Sri Lanka.
A three-wicket loss to Bangladesh was the island nation’s sixth defeat for the tournament, a disappointing turn of events for a side playing in conditions that favour their strengths.
While the likes of Sadeera Samarawickrama, Pathum Nissanka, and Dilshan Madushanka have shined in their departments, many of the big names haven’t quite had the tournament they would have liked.
The side can change that with a spirited display in Bengaluru.
When: November 09, 2023, 2:00 PM IST
Where: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Teams
New Zealand:
Kane Williamson mentioned that for the first time, their entire available squad is either fully fit or close to it. It is expected that Lockie Ferguson will replace Ish Sodhi, who struggled in the previous match against Pakistan. Additionally, Kyle Jamieson had an extended practice session in the nets on the eve of the match.
Regarding their tactics and strategy, New Zealand initially went into the last match with only two primary seam bowlers, anticipating that spin would be the most potent weapon. However, the actual outcome was quite different. Ish Sodhi conceded 44 runs in the four overs he bowled, and even Rachin Ravindra's occasional spin wasn't utilized. Even a bowler as consistent as Mitchell Santner went for 7 runs per over. Therefore, it is likely that the now-fit Lockie Ferguson will rejoin the team to share the fast-bowling responsibilities with Trent Boult and Tim Southee.
Sri Lanka:
In their previous match, Sri Lanka introduced Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva into the lineup and are likely to stick with the same combination for their upcoming match at another high-scoring venue.
When it comes to tactics and strategy, Dilshan Madushanka has been a formidable force with the new ball, ranking second in terms of the number of wickets taken during the first PowerPlay in this tournament. However, it's during the middle overs that Sri Lanka has struggled to maintain control in games. Their spinners have performed less effectively than those of all ten participating teams. In the upcoming match, they will face a significant challenge containing Rachin Ravindra, who has accumulated the most runs in the middle overs (overs 11 to 40) in this tournament.
Squads:
New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson(c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, James Neesham, Will Young
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Dunith Wellalage
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