The Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage has kicked off, and Pakistan has started with a dominant victory over Bangladesh, securing the top position. Bangladesh were quite off-color against Pakistan which hurt the team as later NRR can come into action
Bangladesh struggled against Pakistan and must quickly regroup for their upcoming match against Sri Lanka, with whom they have had intense recent rivalries.
However, Sri Lanka boasts a strong record against Bangladesh in ODIs, including a win in this Asia Cup, and they’ll have the advantage of playing in familiar home conditions.
VENUE FOR BANGLADESH – SRI LANKA MATCH
R.Premadasa Stadium generally provides favorable conditions for batsmen, particularly in the initial innings, offering a good combination of speed and bounce that encourages exciting contests between bat and ball.
However, as the match goes on, the pitch tends to lose some of its pace and becomes more conducive to spin bowling, posing challenges for batsmen looking to score freely. Spinners are likely to have a significant impact on the game during the middle overs.
The forecast for Colombo anticipates cloudy skies with the possibility of a few thunderstorms, particularly in the early part of the day.
Average 1st Inns scores 232
Average 2nd Inns scores 191
TEAM PREVIEW
SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka faced a scare from Afghanistan in their last game but managed to secure a spot in the Super Four stage with a narrow three-run victory. They are the only team in this Asia Cup with two consecutive wins, one of them against Bangladesh.
Opener Pathum Nissanka has been consistently performing, amassing 472 runs in his last 10 matches at an impressive average of 59 and a nearly 90 strike rate. His partner, Dimuth Karunaratne, has also been in good form, scoring 402 runs in his last 9 matches at an average of 50.25 and a strike rate of 88.54.
Kusal Mendis, who recently scored 92 off 84 balls against Afghanistan, is another key player to watch. The wicket-keeper batter has accumulated 388 runs in 13 ODIs this year at an average of 43.11.
Charith Asalanka has contributed with scores of 63* and 36 in this series, and he’s expected to make valuable contributions down the order.
Matheesha Pathirana has been the standout bowler for Sri Lanka in this Asia Cup, impressing with consistent yorkers and pace variations, taking 8 wickets in his last 5 matches with an economy rate of 5.64.
In the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana has performed well as an off-spinner, conceding just 19 runs in 8 overs and taking two wickets in the previous game against Bangladesh.
EXPECTED XI OF SRI LANKA vs BANGLADESH
Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana
BANGLADESH
Najmul Hossain Shanto, who top-scored with 89 off 122 deliveries for Bangladesh in a previous match against Sri Lanka, won’t participate further in the tournament due to injury.
In his absence, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, the team’s most experienced batters, will shoulder extra responsibilities. Mushfiqur Rahim’s 64 against Pakistan was Bangladesh’s highest score in a total of 193, while Shakib contributed with a useful 53.
Another dependable batter for Bangladesh is Mehidy Hasan Miraz, a spin bowling all-rounder who played an outstanding innings of 112* from 119 balls when used as an opener against Afghanistan.
Bangladesh’s pacers, especially Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud, have been performing well. Taskin has taken 12 wickets in his last 6 matches at an economy rate of 3.89, while Hasan Mahmud has claimed 13 wickets in his last 8 matches at an economy of 5.58.
However, Bangladesh’s spinners haven’t been very effective in this series, with the exception of Shakib, who is expected to deliver an impressive spell.
EXPECTED XI OF BANGLADESH vs SRI LANKA
Mohammad Naim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud
PREDICTION FOR THE MATCH
Playing in home conditions will certainly give Sri Lanka an edge.
Backing Sri Lanka to win against Bangladesh and Eliminate them from Asia Cup 2023.