One side has had a long-standing relationship with the game’s shortest format. The other has never so much as touched the ICC T20 World Cup. But given how things stand right now, both teams face the same worries – the silverware has been elusive for years and it’s getting frustrating now. For Sri Lanka, this situation is a tad more up the wall. Although neither of the teams has made it to knockouts in 10 years, the numbers bode more misery for the Lankans. Its last two World Cups have been nothing short of shambolic. But this year things, by the look of it, do not look as ominous.
Since lifting their last ICC trophy, back in 2014, the Islanders have been falling down the pecking order with an incredible consistency. But in between this fall, some spurts of magnificence have always managed to gatecrash their way in. As it so happens, the recent episode of brilliance has, this time, come at the same time as the mega event. What Sri Lankans need to hope for is that this flash somehow stays the length of the T20 World Cup.
South Africa has been similarly unlucky in the World Cups. But the duration of this drought has been a lot more than a mere 10 years for them. It’s always so close yet so far for them. For instance, halfway through the last edition, no one in their sane mind would have thought that South Africa would not be one of the semi-finalists. Fast forward a few weeks. South Africa really was not one of the semi-finalists.
Team Overview:
It was due to a happy mistake (or a well-thought-out scheme) that the Sri Lankan captain, Wanindu Hasaranga was rescued from sitting out the first four matches of the tournament. Courtesy of coincidences or loopholes, Hasaranga is leading the team and not watching from the fringes. The spin all-rounder’s presence means that Sri Lanka’s bowling unit even on their worst days has a silver lining. But the same can not be inferred about their batting. What’s the one kind of batter required to embellish a T20 game? Hitters (Does not matter if it’s a blind slogger or a fan of hitting off the sweet spot). What’s the one kind of batter Sri Lanka missed to prepare for their team? Hitter. While Sri Lanka may have a stacked batting line, none of them loves going all guns blazing.
However, South Africa can not relate to these problems. From openers including Quinton de Cock and Reeza Hendricks and Middle order batters including the explosive Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Aiden Markaram, and the exciting young Tristan Stubbs; there is nothing that can be prophesied to go wrong for the Proteas with the bat. The bowling unit looks like a complete package too. Spinners including Tabraiz Shamsi And Keshav Maharaj would be complemented by a few of the best T20 bowlers like Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, and Marco Jansen.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Both sides have clashed against each other in 17 fixtures with South Africa dominating. The African team has won 11 out of these 17 matches, leaving five for Sri Lanka and one ended with No result.
Weather and Pitch Report:
After the Bangladesh vs India warm-up match, Rahul Dravid revealed the pitch of the newly built Nassau Stadium is soft and spongy. Moreover, during the same game, the outfield was found to be a little slow. Despite that India posted a 180+ total thanks to the bounce this drop-in pitch offers. The match will definitely be a high scorer. Sri Lanka would fancy batting first after winning the toss to allow the pitch to deteriorate before its spinners come to roll their arms over.
Weather is expected to remain clear in New York with the sun likely to be one of spectators during the fame.
Prediction:
South Africa has covered all of its bases. They have spinners and fast bowlers. They have anchors and sloggers. The tail can bat pretty well too. Keeping these in mind, the Proteas are likely to get over the line in this encounter. The key for both teams would be to exploit the conditions to put up as big a score on board as they can.
Where to Watch:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
Also read: Match Preview – Namibia vs Oman
