Within the FIFA soccer World Cup, there are rungs of respectability for groups exiting the competitors. You possibly can undergo the ignominy of going out within the group stage, the spherical of 32, the spherical of 16; or you’ll be able to have the tags of an honourable quarterfinalist, a worthy semifinalist or a deserved finalist connected to your title.
Cricket World Cup, in distinction, is a growth or bust match. The distinction between groups ending fourth and fifth is a semifinal place and a group-stage ouster. On Thursday, on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Sri Lanka and England will conflict with the singular purpose maintaining alive their hopes of the previous.
Each Sri Lanka and England have misplaced three of their 4 matches to date and sit seventh and eighth respectively in a 10-team World Cup. Maintaining in thoughts the truth that they’re but to face table-topper India, neither can afford a loss.
England has to get better from a 229-run shellacking by the hands of South Africa. Its batting hasn’t clicked, skipper Jos Buttler has totalled lower than 100 runs in 4 video games and the bowling has been mauled by South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan alike. The sensation might be that England can solely go up from right here, nevertheless it can’t take Sri Lanka evenly.
The island nation hasn’t misplaced to England in any of the 4 World Cup video games for the reason that flip of the millennium. Final week’s five-wicket victory over the Netherlands is probably not best preparation for Sri Lanka, however it could have definitely banished the dangerous reminiscences from three chastening defeats.
The final time England visited the Chinnaswamy for ODIs again in 2011, it misplaced a match after scoring 327 (Eire) and tied a match by scoring 338. This World Cup, Sri Lanka has conceded 428 and 345-run totals. One other run fest seems to be possible and England would lastly like to complete on the appropriate aspect of it.
– N Sudarshan