3 ways Sri Lanka can stop Pakistan captain Babar Azam from scoring big in 2023 World Cup clash
The memories of the Asia Cup defeat may still linger on for Babar Azam and Pakistan. Sri Lanka eliminated them from the tournament by winning a decisive virtual semi-final, which eventually led to a one-sided final against India, favoring the latter.
It's safe to say that Babar Azam and his team have faced significant challenges in recent times when confronting Sri Lanka in crucial matches. We are now in a much larger arena, the World Cup, where the numbers and dynamics change significantly.
Pakistan have maintained an impeccable record against Sri Lanka in ODI World Cup matches, boasting a 7-0 winning streak. It is safe to say that Pakistan, for all their recent struggles against Sri Lanka, will be slight favorites, and leading their charge will be captain Babar Azam.
Here we take a look at 3 ways Sri Lanka can stop Pakistan captain Babar Azam from scoring big in 2023 World Cup clash:
#3 Get him in early
One of the best ways to put pressure on Babar Azam is to get him in early. Sri Lanka have to get rid of the openers before the ball gets old and attack Babar with the new ball.
Babar generally takes time to settle down before expanding his range and hence will give opportunities to Sri Lanka to set specific fields and bowl according to their plans.
Sri Lanka have to look at different ways to restrict his scoring and then prize his wicket in conditions that suit Babar’s batting style.
#2 Pile up huge runs on the board
Sri Lanka are batting first and have the opportunity to post a massive first innings score. The pitch in Hyderabad looks dry and will assist spin as the game goes on.
Although the conditions might ease out under lights, Sri Lanka will have the chance to put the Pakistan batting under a lot of strife once they post a score in excess of 320 runs.
There is no Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan and as such, their top four bat with a similar approach. If Sri Lanka post a big total, take out the openers early, and force Babar to go for his strokes, they stand a great chance of prizing out the Pakistan captain.
#1 Attack him with spin
For all his class and pedigree, Babar has struggled to attack quality spin in the recent past. He was troubled a lot by Prabath Jayasuriya in the Test match between the two nations and so Dasun Shanaka can attack him with Dunith Wellalage.
The left-arm spinner is very accurate and will be keen to make his presence felt against one of the top batters in the world.
Sri Lanka also have Maheesh Theekshana, an attacking spin bowler who generally takes the ball in the first 10 overs. If Babar walks in early, Theekshana will be a great attacking option for Sri Lanka to dismiss him.