Indian players who might get a chance to play against Sri Lanka: The reserve day for the India-Pakistan match came in handy as the match finally had a result after two days. India posted an empathic win over Pakistan in their first super 4 game. They scored 356-2 with all their top 4 batters scoring fifty plus. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scored centuries as India at the halfway stage looked in complete command.
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Over to the bowling:
The bowlers too put on a show with Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack beautifully. He seemed unplayable in his first spell of 5 overs. Bumrah got the wicket of Imam-ul-Haq and troubled Babar Azam too. Hardik Pandya bowled a peach to dismiss Babar. Shardul Thakur joined the party to get rid of Mohammad Rizwan. Kuldeep Yadav then took over to pick up a 5-wicket haul leaving Pakistan in tatters at 128.
The impact on points table:
India picked up a huge 228-run win propelling them to the top of the table quite comfortably. This win has bolstered their NRR so much that in case of teams being tied on points, India can still go through to the finals. India will be playing Sri Lanka today in what will be their second game in two back-to-back days. It will be interesting to see if India tries to experiment with their team combination in this game.
We look at Indian players who might get a chance to play against Sri Lanka:
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
His inclusion in the World Cup squad was met with a mixed response. There are many of the opinion who believe his numbers don’t merit a spot in the World Cup. India in all fairness did have a plethora of options but they showed faith in SKY’s match winning abilities. He is someone who hasn’t played an ODI after the West Indies series. This game may well present him with an opportunity to showcase his skills. SKY may well even get to bat at number 3 if India opt to rest Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer doesn’t turn up fit. The ball will then finally be in SKY’s court to prove his credentials.
#2 Mohammad Shami
India’s commanding win over Pakistan opens up a couple of places in the bowling department too. Jasprit Bumrah will look to play this game as he surely would want more overs under his belt. There may well be a case of India resting Mohammad Siraj for this match. They will look to field Mohammad Shami along with Bumrah in the XI.
#3 Shreyas Iyer
There was much speculation around Shreyas Iyer’s absence from the XI in the game against Pakistan. It was attributed to his back spasm that kept him out of the game. But if he regains fitness ahead of the game against Sri Lanka, expect Iyer to slot straight in at number 3 in place of Virat Kohli. The latter is a sure starter for the World Cup and has got runs under his belt, hence it will make more cricketing sense to have Iyer in at 3.
#4 Axar Patel
He is one of the side’s 3 main allrounders but is yet to get a game in the tournament. India has preferred to use the services of Shardul Thakur at number 8. But India will be tempted to play Axar Patel against Sri Lanka despite not having a preferable matchup in the middle order. Axar traditionally has done well against the Lankan team. He will do well with some match time ahead of the World Cup.
