PREVIEW
By Srian Obeyesekere
A charged up Sri Lanka has lifted the momentum in a Super Eight insulation of the sleek from the moderate of outshining Ireland by 20 runs in their opener to gunning down Oman with ease to firing out world powerhouse Australia to going through topping Group B to Thursday’s formality game against Zimbabwe to staying in contention to a high stakes clash against their nemesis England in a decisive Super Eight remeet following a recent 3-0 home series blooding, this time around, as the high stakes face off of the 10th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup shifts gear in the humdrum of the elite eight cup shoot out.
While the final group match against Zimbabwe is of academic interest both teams having gone through with Sri Lanka leading the table with six points from the three wins followed by their opponent’s five from three with one rain abandoned, Sri Lanka’s Super Eight opener against England will be all about winning to reversing a bizarre recent past of a dynamite led England’s new boy in town new young guard discovery Harry Brook gungho that topped the Lankans in their own backyard recently.
By and large, looking beyond Zimbabwe, the big showdown will be against rampant England with Dasun Shanaka’s men necessarily having to overpower the mighty English where they will have to play true to their new found chagrin against a wholly professional side oozing in the vitality of highly knitted batting and bowling departments where their spinners outplayed Sri Lanka at their own game.
Coming to the firsts, tomorrow’s game versus Zimbabwe at Colombo’s R. Premadasa International Stadium will be of importance though for both sides as far as reputations go to to putting on the big muscle of staying unscatched. While the Lankans hold the advantage from past laurels, but where a more recent last five games of the Lankans three wins to Zimbabwe’s two has seen their opponent’s lift their game. Upsetting Australia in their opening game has been a massive shot on the arm for Zimbabwean cricket in a big show tournament thar Dasun Shanaka’s team has found even ground in similarly defeating the Australians, but comparatively between the two by a far superior manner of simply blowing away world cricket’s greatest powerhouse reputed I’m for their big cup dominance in the arena by a devastating run assault led by Pathum Nissanka’s century blitzkrieg.
That the Lankans have muscled up in that greasy lightning streak culminating in a smash up of simply defusing an ominous early Mitchell Marsh-Travis Head led threat is by large magnifying as they strive for a two stroke laying to rest of a high riding Zimbabwe which to the Lankans by now is only of academic interest, but a win here all crucial to Sikandar Raza and his charges to going through, the other of course, a looming England whose damning bazball firepower their young kid in town reignited against Sri Lanka straight from the fade of a lost Ashes series.
That the Lankans have muscled up in that greasy lightning streak culminating in a smash up of simply defusing an ominous early Mitchell Marsh-Travis Head led threat is by large magnifying as they strive for a two stroke laying to rest of a high riding Zimbabwe which to the Lankans by now is only of academic interest, but a win here all crucial to Sikandar Raza and his charges to going through, the other of course, a looming England whose damning bazball firepower their young kid in town reignited against Sri Lanka straight from the fade of a lost Ashes series.
Minus their playmaker all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga laid down by injury, Sri Lanka’s batting that was a skidding worry, has undergone a change driven by star batsman Kusal Mendis, who has admirably raised his game to a sheet anchor watch role of holding annings together. If Mendis’ staying put element has been a pay off. the advent of young Pavan Rathnayake to plugging a shaky No 4 slot has been as constructive cementing of the batting by the 23-year old right hander’s calm and collective situational acclimatiztion with an uncanny strong point to cutting loose.
Replacement spinner for Hasaranga, Dushan Hemantha did undo Australia by his innocuous baiting stuff in a 3-wicket take in holding the injury hit bowling together after speedster Matheesha Pathirana limped off early, az the Lankan camp looks to peak in the run up crucial must win games.
