Bengaluru: Defending champions England are having a horrible World Cup losing three out of the four matches they have played so far including one where they were trounced by 'minnows' Afghanistan.
The English would want to get back to winning ways to stay alive in the tournament as they square off with Sri Lanka at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday. England is in ninth position on the table with just two points from four matches, similar to their opponents Sri Lanka, who are placed just above in eighth position.
A win on Thursday will not just boost their points but increase their confidence to face tougher opponents like India and Australia ahead in the tournament. A defeat for England will virtually put them out of the tournament.
To avoid an early exit, England need to play the brand of cricket they are known for. In particular, their batters need to perform as per their calibre. They will not get a more favourable venue than the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with its short boundaries and flat pitch-aiding runs.
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🚨 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 23, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
• Our highest wicket-taker of the World Cup
• Eight wickets in three games at 22.87
• Returned to the field and bowled with a broken finger
• Still took two wickets despite his injury
Thank you, Toppers ❤️… pic.twitter.com/1WyJHGlc5Q
">🚨 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 23, 2023
• Our highest wicket-taker of the World Cup
• Eight wickets in three games at 22.87
• Returned to the field and bowled with a broken finger
• Still took two wickets despite his injury
Thank you, Toppers ❤️… pic.twitter.com/1WyJHGlc5Q🚨 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 23, 2023
• Our highest wicket-taker of the World Cup
• Eight wickets in three games at 22.87
• Returned to the field and bowled with a broken finger
• Still took two wickets despite his injury
Thank you, Toppers ❤️… pic.twitter.com/1WyJHGlc5Q
English pace battery needs to put up a show to help the team register a second win in the tournament. Reece Topley, who was their only bowler with some good performances behind his belt, has been ruled out of the tournament.
Mark Wood, the leader of England's pace attack proved very expensive. He picked only 3 wickets in 4 innings with an economy of 6.77 at an average of 70.00. He has not even bowled the full quota of 10 overs in every match.
The right-arm pacer Chris Woakes, who showed brilliant form against Australia in the home series hasn't clicked yet. Woakes has picked just 2 wickets in 18 overs of 3 matches of the World Cup, where he leaked the runs at an economy of 7.50 with an average of 67.50. Again, he has also not bowled his full quota of overs in all the three matches he played.
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Brydon Carse will replace Reece Topley in our World Cup squad for the remainder of the tournament.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 23, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Welcome, Carsey 🙌 #EnglandCricket | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/DrDzkDbUeU
">Brydon Carse will replace Reece Topley in our World Cup squad for the remainder of the tournament.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 23, 2023
Welcome, Carsey 🙌 #EnglandCricket | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/DrDzkDbUeUBrydon Carse will replace Reece Topley in our World Cup squad for the remainder of the tournament.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 23, 2023
Welcome, Carsey 🙌 #EnglandCricket | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/DrDzkDbUeU
The last match here between Australia and Pakistan produced a combined 672 runs, and the England batters would desperately want to repeat their effort against Bangladesh on October 10 when they mustered 364 for 9 at Dharamsala.
It has been a forgettable tournament for England batters except Dawid Malan and Joe Root to a lesser extent, have been unable to find their range, a defeat against Afghanistan and the mauling by South Africa still play out like the reels of a bad dream.
The failures of all their all-rounders might have been the most disappointing as it was England's strength since the 2019 World Cup. There were so many expectations from the captain Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Liam Livingstone but none of them delivered.
They started the tournament with four all-rounders Woakes, Ali, Curran and Livingstone but three matches later against South Africa none of them made it to the playing 11. Even Ben Stokes played as a pure batter. Such a drastic template change shows the all-around indecisiveness inside the England camp.
It leaves leg-spinner Adil Rashid as their most bankable bowler, as he has taken six wickets so far and his economy rate of 5.18 is the best among the Englishmen. However, England will find some consolation from the fact that Sri Lanka is dealing with an equal amount of mess despite a five-wicket win over the Netherlands in their last match.
They have lost two players to injuries after four matches captain Dasun Shanaka and young pacer Matheesha Pathirana. But that does not even feel like a loss as those two were not exactly setting the stage ablaze. They brought in veteran Angelo Mathews as Pathirana's replacement when a like-for-like pacer in Dushamantha Chameera was available among the travelling reserves.
Sri Lanka has a serious brain fade as their main headache is their stingless bowling after they lost Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera and then captain Dasun Shanaka and Matheesh Pathirana in the middle of the tournament. They have conceded 428 against SA, 345 against Pakistan and 215 in 35.2 overs against Australia. However, Dilshan Madhushanka has proved to be the only bowler who has done the job for the team. He has picked 11 wickets so far in the tournament and is currently placed in the second position of the most wickets tally.
The Lankan bowlers had reduced the Dutch to 91 for 6 but were generous enough to allow them to reach 262. In that context, they might be worried about offering a fresh lease of life to the misfiring England batters here.
However, there is a small sliver of light for Lanka in the form of their top-order batters Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Kusal Mendis, and the two century-makers, Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. If they can exploit the general waywardness of England's bowlers then Lanka can hope to put them under pressure, if not turn it into a victory.
Their shock 20-run win over England four years ago might still serve Lankans a dose of confidence as some like Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Perera were part of that stunning day. So, another classic might just be brewing when two teams with so much shared destiny face up to each other.
Squads:
England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
Travelling reserve: Jofra Archer
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne
Travelling reserve: Dushmantha Chameera.
Match starts at 2 PM.
