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Following their victorious encounter with South Africa in Delhi, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards proudly espoused the concept of 'total cricket,' a strategy borrowed from football and famously used in the 1970s in the Netherlands. In simple terms, 'total cricket' involves a fluid and versatile system where any player can assume the role of another (excluding the goalkeeper). Edwards drew parallels in the context of cricket after his No.8 and No.9 batsmen, Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt, stepped up to fulfill the batting responsibilities that the top-order couldn't, thereby altering the course of the game.
Sri Lanka, too, may find 'total cricket' to be the need of the hour. Their World Cup campaign has featured a few individual moments of brilliance, but these have not translated into points on the board. Inconsistency has plagued them, with a weakened bowling unit letting them down in Delhi and Hyderabad, and their batting collapsing from strong positions in Lucknow.
A little over a month ago, Sri Lanka was riding a 13-game winning streak in ODIs, second only to Australia's 21 from 2003. However, their fortunes have taken a sharp downturn since then, resulting in just one win in six matches. Adding to their troubles is the form and mental state of the Netherlands, often perceived as outsiders and non-elite. Sri Lanka has repeatedly found themselves nursing wounds in this tournament, while Edwards's team comes in fresh, having exemplified the tournament cliché that "any team can beat any other team on their day."
Saturday's day game was initially considered one of the less glamorous fixtures of the tournament, but the narratives have since evolved, and expectations have risen. Sri Lanka is in need of a turning point, while Netherlands sees this as a rare opportunity to ascend in the tournament's standings.
When: October 21, 2023, 10:30 AM IST
Where: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Teams
Netherlands:
Just three days have passed since their remarkable victory in Delhi. Unless there are any minor injuries or concerns stemming from that win, it would be prudent for them to field the same starting eleven against Sri Lanka.
In terms of tactics and strategy, the Netherlands may opt to steer clear of the pressure of chasing runs, aiming to enhance their prospects of upsetting another opponent. Similar to Afghanistan, their counterparts in giant-killing feats, the Netherlands would be wiser to set a challenging target and then unite to defend it.
Recent encounters with this particular opponent provide solid evidence to support this approach, as they fell short in two run-chases against Sri Lanka during the World Cup qualifiers.
Sri Lanka:
Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera are set to arrive on the eve of the game as backup players. However, they can only be included in the playing eleven if Sri Lanka officially substitute one of their existing 15 squad members with them. An option for Sri Lanka might be to bring in Kasun Rajitha to inject some freshness into a struggling bowling department.
In terms of tactics and strategy, Sri Lanka's strongest suit lies in their batting, particularly during the middle overs. Players like Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Charith Asalanka have been exceptional in this phase, with respective averages of 57.4, 48.0, and 49.1 between the 11th and 40th over in matches this year.
Squads:
Netherlands Squad: Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards(w/c), Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren, Wesley Barresi, Ryan Klein, Shariz Ahmad, Saqib Zulfiqar
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dimuth Karunaratne
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