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| Edited By: Dilip Vengsarkar |Source: DNA |Updated: Sep 29, 2017, 02:45 AM IST
With the hosts Sri Lanka and Pakistan winning their initial matches quite comprehensively, the battle royal is on at the Premadasa Stadium on Saturday with both the teams trying to outwit each other to come out on top.
I feel that the World Cup fever has not yet caught up in the real sense as no top teams had tough times in the first round of the tournament but it is bound to catch with this game. There is no doubt that the cricket-loving people are waiting for the big games to start.
The Sri Lankans are a well-oiled outfit with tremendous record to boot. They have been pretty consistent and are a tough side to beat especially in the home conditions where they get a huge local support. Their team has terrific, battle-hardened batsmen like Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara and their bowling department is well looked after by the likes of Malinga and Murali, the match winners in their own right. They have been accused of having an ageing side but I feel they have the right balance of youth and experience.
The Pakistanis are in turmoil, mostly for their own (wrong) doings. They are a bunch of players with raw talent and could
explode at any time. However, the fact is they are led by a player who has yet to prove himself at the highest level, whether it’s Test cricket or ODIs. Afridi has performed only in spurts. He is a big hitter no doubt but quite inconsistent at the highest level. Besides, their entire batting doesn’t look solid on paper. However, their bowling has a better look with the likes of Shoaib, Gul and Razzaq in their line-up. They have the ability to swing the game in their favour from tough situations.
Over the years, I have seen that the toss has played a vital role in the outcome of the match. The side that bats first gets to make the best use of the wicket and though there is that dew factor, the bowlers tend to call the shots.
Sri Lanka is bound to keep their winning-spree on but one can’t stick one’s neck out and predict a clear winner especially when the other team is Pakistan.
