SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
England’s captain, Jos Buttler, chose to bat first after winning the toss. England made three changes to their team, while Sri Lanka made two changes, including Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Kumara in a crucial ICC World Cup match played at M Chinnasamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.
The outcome of this match is very important for both teams. The winning team will have a good chance to reach the playoff stage, while the team that loses will have a tough time securing a spot in the semi-finals after finishing the League Stage.
Chinnasamy Stadium is known for high-scoring games, as seen in a recent match between Pakistan and Australia, where more than 650 runs were scored. The pitch doesn’t have much grass, making it favorable for batsmen. The boundaries are relatively short, with 73 meters straight down the wicket, 67 meters on the square of the wicket, and 61 meters on the leg side. This means that players can hit many sixes on this ground, as mentioned by Ravi Shastri in his pitch report.
Jos Buttler, the captain of the England team, expressed his hopes for a strong start and mentioned their three changes, with Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, and Livingston joining the playing eleven.
Sri Lanka’s captain, Kusal Mendis, also expressed his desire for a good start and the importance of this match. He highlighted the experience of Angelo Mathews in their team and hopes for a strong performance. Sri Lanka made two changes with Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Kumara included in their lineup.
This match promises to be an exciting one on a ground known for high-scoring encounters, and both teams are determined to give their best to secure a crucial victory in the ICC World Cup.
England Playing XI: 1 Jonny Bairstow (WK), 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (C & WK), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (C & WK), 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Kusal Perera, 6 Charith Asalanka, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Kasun Rajitha 10, Dilshan Madushanka, 11 Lahiru Kumara.
Umpires: Adrian Holdstock (South Africa),
Chris Brown (New Zealand),
TV Umpire (India),
Reserve Umpire: Rod Tucker (New Zealand).
Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (India).