3 things to look forward to in India's 2023 World Cup clash against Sri Lanka
Having raced away to six wins, Team India have all but secured their spot in the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup. They will look to put that beyond doubt when they play against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, November 2.
The Men in Blue have played an exciting brand of cricket throughout the tournament, and their performances have been thrilling to watch even though the nature of their wins has been fairly one-sided. They are expected to beat Kusal Mendis and Co., but they can never rest on their laurels in a tournament like the World Cup.
Here are three things to look forward to in India's 2023 World Cup match against Sri Lanka.
#3 Will the Wankhede track offer an Asia Cup final repeat?
The last time India and Sri Lanka faced off was in the final of the 2023 Asia Cup, where Rohit Sharma and Co. thrashed the island nation by 10 wickets with 263 balls to spare.
The Lankans were bowled out for just 50 after electing to bat first. They edged pretty much everything, and what they didn't edge found its way to the stumps. Mohammed Siraj was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up six wickets, while Hardik Pandya chipped in with three.
The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is known to produce a fiesty track that has something in it for the fast bowlers. In the last World Cup 2023 match played at the venue, South Africa's pacers picked up nine of the 10 Bangladesh wickets to fall.
The Asia Cup final might weigh heavily on the minds of Sri Lanka. The backdrop of that contest, especially with respect to the Indian fast bowlers' current form, is an interesting proposition.
#2 Mumbai, which was produced some amazing World Cup moments, will host the contest
South Africa have largely been based out of the Wankhede Stadium in the 2023 World Cup so far, and their batters have provided some terrific moments. Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock have all played scintillating knocks to set the ground alight.
India are no strangers to having memorable World Cup encounters at the Wankhede Stadium, the venue of their 2011 final win over the same opposition. A lot has changed since then, but the stature of the ground and the supportive nature of the crowd are still the same.
There was some criticism directed at the scheduling of India's matches in the 2023 World Cup, with the main centers not getting the most high-profile league games. That might be true, but the Men in Blue playing in Mumbai is always a big occasion.
#1 Can India continue to win without Hardik Pandya?
Recent reports have suggested that Hardik Pandya might only return for India's final game of the league stage against the Netherlands. This means that he will miss the clashes against Sri Lanka and South Africa, having already been on the sidelines for a couple of matches.
Can India continue to cope without Hardik Pandya? Suryakumar Yadav made an important contribution at No. 6 in the previous game against England, and Mohammed Shami's red-hot form has meant that the side haven't needed the services of a sixth bowler.
Batting depth is a definite concern for India, but their top-order batters and frontline bowlers have ensured that they haven't missed their vice-captain and arguably most important ODI player. Hardik's prolonged absence won't please the hosts, but how they cope without him is something to look forward to against Sri Lanka.