Sri Lanka and Bangladesh expecting to crack the whip on the back of their DIY rivalry
Sri Lanka-Bangladesh is not the rivalry we wanted, but the rivalry we needed. But as of now, its also the rivalry that both teams need to supercharge themselves to survive in what is the toughest group of this World Cup edition. Sri Lanka, with a negative NRR and an empty points column, would know the value of getting a headstart more. They would not want to repeat what happened at Nassau County Stadium, now would they? 77 77-run target is not what you post for a lineup full of hitters to chase.
Then again you also don’t go on to bat first on a pitch that has the potential to confuse peers more than understanding the wave-particle duality. Playing in Dallas this time against Bangladesh, they will have to do something utterly and horribly long to score another less than 100 runs. However, the problem never was what was or wasn’t the total. According to the Lankans themselves, their logistic arrangements are nothing short of a farcical fiasco. The cricket world, especially in this tournament where there are other 19 teams to look after, does not hold such excuses in any regard. You are what you show yourself as, in the stadium, and what Sri Lanka showed against South Africa was nowhere near a team that could end up in the Super 8s.
For Bangladesh, it’s their first game of the World Cup. But they are in no better position than their rivals. Leading up to the mega-event, they have lost to Zimbabwe, the USA, and India – all in a matter of month. During the last T20 World Cup, they could only defeat Zimbabwe and Netherlands. However, their game against India was where they played very decent cricket and nearly handed India a defeat. But doing a half job is not what would help them breathe freely in this group with Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the Netherlands sniffing desperately for blood.
Team Overview:
Sri Lanka sit with an NRR more than a negative one, at the bottom of the table (including the teams who have played at least one game). They would rue how miserly they turned up against South Africa in all departments except bowling. Some decisions made on Wanindu Hasaranga’s part were too dubious to understand. Such avoidables need to be jettisoned if they hope to recover from the South Africa defeat.
Shakib al Hasan is the main character for Bangladesh and that is what could cost them a lot as they tend to rely on more than what he or Bangladesh is comfortable with. The openers really need to step up to give a solid start to the team and make hay while the powerplay lasts. The good news for the Bangladesh fans is that Taskin Ahmed is likely to make a return from his injury in this game and with Mustafizur Rehman he would be a force to reckon with.
Head-to-Head Matches:
The Asian rivals have faced each other 16 times in the shortest format of the game. Unsurprisingly, Sri Lanka has dominated this match-up with 11 wins to their name, while Bangladesh has won 5 matches.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Weather in Dallas would remain free of any rain-influence and so a full game is on the cards between both teams. Dallas Stadium has behaved erratically in the three games that have been played here. In the first game between the USA and Canada, a run-fest was witnessed while it was the complete opposite in the Netherlands vs Nepal match, as both teams could only score 215 runs. The Pakistan vs USA game turned out to be even different. The pitch behaved tougher for the batters at the start and settled down as the game progressed. Nevertheless, the pacers are likely to get help early in the game, although the deck will likely favor batters throughout the game.
Prediction:
Upsets and Super overs have been a regular in this tournament so far. This game too would be a neck-to-neck competition. However, Bangladesh could take this game away from Sri Lanka should their batting lineup hit the right tone.
Where to Watch:
You can watch the games on the following platforms as per your region:
- 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
