3 reasons why Sri Lanka must play Dunith Wellalage in 2023 World Cup clash vs India
Sri Lanka will fight to keep their struggling 2023 World Cup campaign alive when they face off against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, November 2.
The 2011 World Cup finalists have been ravaged by injuries this campaign, with Kusal Mendis now leading the side in Dasun Shanaka's absence. Although they notched up a couple of wins to inject some momentum after a poor start, the disappointing loss to Afghanistan has pushed them to the brink of elimination.
Sri Lanka have made quite a few changes to their side so far in the competition, and things might not be any more stable against India. With the current XI underperforming on a few fronts, they might need to make another tweak and include Dunith Wellalage.
Wellalage hasn't had a great World Cup so far, with just 12 runs and two wickets in three matches. He has lost his place in the playing XI, but bringing him back into the fold could work wonders for the Lankan Lions on many fronts.
Here are three reasons why Sri Lanka must play Dunith Wellalage in their 2023 World Cup clash against India.
#3 Having a left-arm spinner is never a bad idea against India
It's never a bad idea to have a left-arm spinner in the side while facing India, with the lineup comprising mostly right-handers. Even the only southpaw in the side, Ravindra Jadeja, hasn't been able to get going against the spinners over the last year or two.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, India's dangerous opening combination, aren't always comfortable against left-arm spinners. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul share some of those issues as well, although they have overcome them on occasion.
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, is known to be vulnerable against left-arm spinners, with several bowlers of that type troubling him lately. Shreyas Iyer is perhaps the only batter in the side who can confidently take on bowlers like Wellalage.
#2 Dunith Wellalage shone in the Asia Cup Super Four fixture between the two sides
India ran away with the Asia Cup, hammering Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final after Mohammed Siraj's six-wicket haul. Before that, though, in the Super Four fixture between the two sides, Dunith Wellalage was incredibly impressive.
Wellalage scalped a five-wicket haul, the first of his ODI career, to dent the Indian batting lineup. He also made an important unbeaten 42, an attacking knock that gave Sri Lanka a slight glimmer of hope, all while batting with the tail. The all-rounder's fielding wasn't too shabby either.
Wellalage walked away with the Player of the Match award despite ending up on the losing side. Having already established a good track record against India, the 20-year-old might be the island nation's last bet at salvaging their World Cup campaign.
#1 Sri Lanka could use an additional spinner in their side
The last two matches have seen Sri Lanka beef up their bowling attack while making Maheesh Theekshana handle spin duties. They did experiment with Dushan Hemantha in a game, but the leg-spinner hasn't been a regular feature of the XI.
Theekshana has often been left with too much to do, and batters haven't needed to take too many risks against him as they can always attack the fast bowlers at the other end. Dhananjaya de Silva is sharing fifth-bowler duties with Angelo Mathews at the moment, but the part-time off-spinner hasn't been particularly potent.
Sri Lanka could use an additional spinner on the Wankhede Stadium's red-soil pitch, especially since they've added Dushmantha Chameera to create a three-pronged frontline pace attack. Wellalage, who can bat a bit and keep things tight, is the natural frontrunner.