Defending an ODI World Cup title is no easy feat, in the 48-year-old history of the tournament, only West Indies and Australia have successfully retained their crown. England are finding that out the tough way – what it means to come into a major event as the reigning champions and not being able to set the stage on fire.
The Jos Buttler-led side arrive in Bengaluru to face Sri Lanka with a mere two points from four games and their confidence in shreds, having succumbed to their heaviest-ever ODI loss by 229 runs at the hands of South Africa in Mumbai.
On Thursday, they will be up against a Sri Lankan side which chased down 263 runs against the Netherlands at Lucknow to get their first win of the tournament. But they, too, have tasted defeats whenever they have faced a Test-playing nation so far – South Africa, Australia and Pakistan.
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Stand-in captain Kusal Mendis and top-order batter Sadeera Samarawickrama have been the stand-out batters for Sri Lanka and if conditions are batting-friendly on Thursday, they will hope to keep that form going and cause further headaches for England.
If England are to somehow climb up the table and give themselves an outside chance of making the semifinals, it will need the best combination of cricketing ability and mental strength, with some luck along the way. Mendis’ side, on the other hand, is full of potential but must couple that with performances to come out on top on Thursday and gather momentum in the tournament.
What: England vs Sri Lanka, Match 25, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
When: October 26, 2023, 2:00 PM IST
Where: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
England
The reigning champions will have to make one change to the playing XI that lost to South Africa after Reece Topley was ruled out of the tournament due to a fractured left index finger. England roped in Brydon Carse as his replacement and might be tempted to include him in the playing XI on Thursday.
Ben Stokes’ 2023 ODI World Cup debut was a forgettable one and he will want to make good use of the shorter boundaries on offer and make his first big contribution of the tournament on Thursday. The all-rounder was seen having a light bowl in the nets on Wednesday and it will be interesting to see if Buttler turns to him on Thursday.
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Likely playing XI: Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c and wk), David Willey, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood.
Sri Lanka
The 1996 World Cup winners will come into the contest on Thursday with some confidence under their belt, after having secured their first win of the tournament. But they will also know that their bowling, especially the pace attack, could be under intense scrutiny on Thursday with short boundaries and a wounded batting line-up in front of them in Bengaluru.
Sri Lanka had a 30-40-minute practice session on Wednesday, on the eve of the match on Wednesday evening.
Likely playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wellalge, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka.
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QUOTES
“I think there’s still a lot of players that can play for a long time. There’s obviously a few of us who are a bit older, more than likely won’t make the next World Cup, but there’s a lot of players who have been around for years that will be, and I don’t think it’s the end of anything. I think it could potentially be the start of something else,”- Moeen Ali if the 2023 ODI World Cup was a swansong for the current group of England players.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity. This marks my fourth fifty-over World Cup match. Our team and I are committed to giving our best performance, with the primary goal of reaching the semifinals. I’m fully prepared to put in the hard work necessary to achieve this,” Angelo Mathews on returning to the Sri Lankan setup.
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