3 things Sri Lanka need to do to beat New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup
Sri Lanka will take on New Zealand in their final league-stage contest in the 2023 ODI World Cup in a game that holds some serious ramifications for other sides as well. The clash is scheduled to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.
At the moment, not a single thing is going right for Sri Lanka across all three departments. Barring a one-off win over England at the same venue, the Lankans don't have much to show for their efforts. In their ongoing three-match losing streak, they have been largely tame against their subcontinent rivals in the form of India, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
Injuries have played a serious role in Sri Lanka's campaign being derailed. Kusal Mendis has sustained a severe dip in form ever since assuming the captaincy role while the rest of the batting unit have failed to step up as well.
Maheesh Theekshana's poor form in ideal conditions has also been equally alarming, which has been reflected in Sri Lanka's overall bowling performances as well.
Apart from asking the batters to reach the crease early with a sturdy helmet, let us take a look at three other things Sri Lanka need to do to beat New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup.
#1 Bowing attack must support Dilshan Madushanka
Sri Lanka's bowling unit has been a one-trick pony so far, with left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka dominating the proceedings on his own. The youngster, in a way, has been the solitary positive for the nation in the tournament, as he is among the leading wicket-takers.
He has been able to move the new ball around and trap the batters, even claiming a five-wicket haul against India. However, if Sri Lanka wish to secure a win over the Blackcaps, they will require their bowlers to perform like a unit rather than rely on Madushanka entirely.
The performance of all bowlers comes into the fore even more, with the match taking place at the batting-friendly M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. New Zealand batters had decimated the Pakistan bowling unit to post an imperious 400-run total in their previous appearance at the venue.
The likes of Kasun Rajitha and Dushmantha Chameera have been below par in terms of their basics, like their bowling areas. They have been unable to put pressure on batters, and have collectively picked only one wicket across Sri Lanka's last two matches.
Even with the spinners, with Theekshana struggling immensely, second spinner Dhananjaya de Silva being a part-time option has not helped things.
#2 Batters have to convert their respective starts after settling down
Sri Lanka only scored 55 and 241 in their losses to India and Afghanistan, respectively. Even on a flat batting surface in Delhi against Bangladesh, they were only able to post 279 runs, which was chased down quite easily.
Across the three aforementioned matches, Charith Asalanka's ton against Bangladesh is the only knock to take any note of. Taking the India game out of the equation, batters have been able to settle down and weather the initial storm, but have absolutely nothing to show for it.
This has resulted in a lack of partnerships and as a result, allowed opponents to strike at regular intervals, giving them all of the momentum, especially in the middle overs.
Furthermore, it is not like they have been at the receiving end of unplayable deliveries all of the time, the majority of the dismissals have been simply avoidable.
#3 Hold onto their catches
As mentioned before, Sri Lanka have struggled across all three departments in this tournament so far. With their batting and bowling woes discussed, it leaves their shambolic fielding on the table.
They are currently the worst fielding unit in the World Cup, with statistics showing that they have dropped a total of 16 catches already. They allowed Bangladesh to grow into the run chase courtesy of some dropped catches at crucial intervals in the game.
Sri Lanka have failed to grab onto the half chances, giving opposition batters crucial lifelines to make their case. To make matters worse, their ground fielding has also been far from ideal.
A spirited fielding performance, could perhaps ignite something special and be the catalyst in order to defeat New Zealand in the crucial encounter.
Can Sri Lanka step up with a win to bolster their Champions Trophy 2025 chances? Let us know what you think.