Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in match 33 of 48 in the ICC Men’s Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in match 33 of 48 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

The two teams will face each other at 02:00 p.m. today (02 Nov.),  on the pitch of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India.

India continue their ruthless march on the road to the 2023 World Cup semifinal, and after wins over Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the Men in Blue have the opportunity to smash all permutations and combinations as they renew their battle against sub-continent rivals Sri Lanka. 

With one leg already in the semifinal, India have a 99.5 percent chance of sealing a spot in the final four, but a win today at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium will all but guarantee it. With six wins from six matches, India, with 12 points, are the only unbeaten team in the World Cup and in current form, are favourites to extend their victory march by another game.

India have been unstoppable thus far in the tournament. Everything they touch turns into gold. Almost all their batters have gotten runs and every bowler has been among the wickets. If Hardik Pandya’s absence due to injury was any bit of a concern, Mohammed Shami’s nine wickets from two matches and Suryakumar Yadav’s crucial 49 dispelled any such doubts. 

If there were worries pertaining to whether India could set up a total after chasing the first five games, they delivered that answer emphatically with a crushing 100-run win over defending champions England last Sunday. India are a formidable force to reckon with and Sri Lanka will need to perform out of their skins to upstage the most in-form and red-hot team of the tournament.

The fierce contest is equally significant for Sri Lanka, who in all probability are out of contention for a place in the semis but are alive mathematically. Not only do they need to win their remaining three matches, but will also depend on the outcomes of other teams. 

Their campaign suffered a blow when Dasun Shanaka was ruled out, but Angelo Mathews’ dream return injected some confidence back when Sri Lanka hammered England. The upswing however did not last, as following a defeat to Afghanistan, Sri Lanka slipped to the bottom half of the points table. But they will take heart from some of the individual performances that have lifted them in bits and pieces. 

Fast bowlers Dilshan Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha have combined to pick 20 wickets, while Sadeera Samarawickrama has been the star with the bat with 331 runs from six matches.

As for India, they will once again be without Hardik, whose continuous absence now seems to be becoming a tad concerning. Not only will Hardik miss today’s match against Sri Lanka, but he has also been ruled out of the tie against South Africa on November 5 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. 

The Wankhede has historically produced wickets that have suited batters and quicks more, which means that India are likely to go into the clash unchanged with both Shami and Surya retaining their places. Shreyas Iyer, who practiced long and hard against the short-ball during India’s net sessions, will be persisted with at No. 4.

The last time India and Sri Lanka faced each other in an ICC tournament in Mumbai was during the famous 2011 World Cup final. 

The two teams very recently met each other in another final – of the Asia Cup, where India steamrolled Sri Lanka by bowling them out for 50 and cruising to a 10-wicket win and the latest chapter only promises to add to the long list of legendary matches between these sub-continent rivals

Source - Hindustan Times

- Agencies