Asia Cup: Sri Lanka take on Bangladesh Friday June 18th
Defending champions and tournament favourites Sri Lanka will take on the minnows Bangladesh today in the second match of the tournament for both teams.
The Sri Lankan’s who already have a win against Pakistan under their belt when they won the nail biting first match of the tournament by 16 runs, are surly going to be looking to be-league Bangladesh in today’s match and thus enhance their chances of making it to the Asia Cup final.
Four-time champions Sri Lanka, need just one more victory to virtually qualify for the June 24 final of the Asia Cup and that victory they will be eyeing in today’s match. If Sri Lanka does win today they will either be facing Pakistan or India in the finals, direction of which will be set in tomorrow’s crucial match between the sub-continent arch rivals. If Pakistan loses tomorrow then that will be the end of their Asia Cup campaign, however if India loses then the match result against Pakistan’s match with Bangladesh and thus the net run rate will come into play.
For Bangladesh, the clash is a do-or-die contest as they are coming into the match from a six-wicket defeat against India and thus a loss against the Sri Lankan’s would mean a call to the travel agent and a non stop flight back to Bangladesh.
The likely hood of that call being made today also seems highly possible as the Sri Lankan’s who have the advantage of playing in home conditions, are not likely to be troubled by Shakib Al Hasan’s team. Along with that, historical stats also favour Sri Lanka as they have won 26 of their 28 games against Bangladesh and the two losses which they had have both come when Bangladesh were playing at home against them. Furthermore, Sri Lanka have also won 18 of their 25 games at Dambulla.
Sri Lanka has a well balanced side and star power in all areas of the game, their bowlers, especially pace man Lasith Malinga are in outclass form.
They also have a solid batting line up which makes them an outright favourite against the Asian minnows.
Sri Lanka today however could be expected to play Suraj Randiv instead of the spin maestro Muttiah Muralitharan, especially after the battering Shahid Afridi of Pakistan made Muralitharan go through in the first match. Muralitharan went for 71 runs from his 10 overs, which included five sixes all hit by Afridi.
The Lankan’s might also make one other change to their team today as they are in the process of experimenting with players in preparation of the upcoming ICC World Cup next year. Thus it could be expected that they might replace Farveez Maharoof, who failed with both the ball and bat against Pakistan and even his fielding was below average.
So the Sri Lankan’s do not have that much thinking to do about their playing eleven, but what is Bangladesh planning on doing about its performance?
Not surprisingly, captain of the Bangladeshi Cricket team Shakib Al Hasan has called upon his players to start performing as a unit.
Also today in cricket, the South Africans look set to continue their hold over the West Indians and complete another Test series victory. The second Test between the two nations also opens today at Warner Park.
The South Africans lead the three-match series 1-0, after they managed to complete a 163-run victory inside four days in the opening Test last Sunday at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
The South African cricket team which is currently ranked at the number 1 position on the ICC Test Playing Nations list wants to maintain their impeccable record. What favours them in this quest is the fact that the Proteas have not lost a Test series to the West Indies, since 18 years ago when they lost by 52-run to the West Indians in a match that was played at Barbados.
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