In the 33rd match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the two-time World Cup winner, India will take on Sri Lanka, tomorrow, November 2, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai at 2 PM IST.
The Men in Blue have been on a winning streak since the event began. On Sunday, the team earned their sixth consecutive victory by defeating England by 100 runs in a low-scoring thriller. The major concern for India was that they did not bat first in any game before the England one. Nevertheless, the victory in Lucknow demonstrated that the side remains in top form as a unit in any scenario. The team would still like to bat first and put up a huge total, and what better place to do it than at the batter’s paradise, Wankhede Stadium? Another issue was Hardik Pandya‘s injury, which was expected to put a further burden on the Indian squad in the absence of another bowling option. Fortunately, the home team has turned the tables by including Mohammad Shami in the playing XI, who has grabbed nine wickets in just two games. His fantastic wicket-taking prowess has brought precision to the bowling attack, and skipper Rohit Sharma would not want to replace the winning combination in the next game. The Men in Blue would also like Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill to bat longer and have a bigger effect on the game before approaching the knockouts.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka have had a dismal performance in the competition so far. The 1996 World Cup winners won only two of their six matches, against the Netherlands and England. They also lost to Pakistan and Afghanistan, both of which the team could have hoped to avoid. While the opening pair of Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne continue to appear strong, others, particularly the lower batting order, have to step up and produce. Angelo Mathews‘ inclusion has also given the team a bright outlook, as any experience against the mighty Indians could prove quite beneficial. Maheesh Theekshana is doing fantastic with the ball and would like to continue. However, the pacers are yet to deliver significantly, something SL supporters would like to witness tomorrow.
Head-to-Head:
India and Sri Lanka have met in 167 ODI matches, in which the Men in Blue have won 98 times while Sri Lanka have triumphed on 57 occasions. 11 matches were abandoned, whereas one match was also tied.
Furthermore, both nations have met nine times in the 50-over World Cup. Out of these nine games, both have won four each. One match also ended without any result.
Where to watch:
TV: Star Sports
OTT: Disney+ Hotstar