All is not well in the England camp. Having won just one of their four games so far in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 league stage, the reigning champions are teetering on the edge of a humiliating elimination, much to the collective disappointment of those watching from home. England, at least, are not alone in their despair; ahead of them only by the net run rate, Sri Lanka accompany the Three Lions at the foot of the table, with the pair desperate to get their respective campaigns going when they meet at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Thursday, October 26. (Match Blog | Scorecard | Points Table | Full Coverage)
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Opening the 2023 tournament with a loss against New Zealand in a repeat of the 2019 final, England looked to have corrected course by beating Bangladesh in the following encounter. However, a shock loss against Afghanistan stopped the resurgent Englishmen in their tracks before a massive defeat against South Africa left them bottom of the league table.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, began their campaign with three high-scoring games, albeit all ending in defeats - against South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia. A much-needed victory against the Netherlands put some momentum in the Sri Lankan challenge, which the team will hope to use to inflict further woes on a dwindling England side in the 25th match of the league stage.
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Here are three key battles to watch out for in match 25 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - England vs Sri Lanka:
Dawid Malan vs Dilshan Madushanka
Dawid Malan’s sensational 140 against Bangladesh set England on course for what remains their only triumph of the 2023 ODI Cricket World at the time of writing. Opening the batting alongside Jonny Bairstow, Malan has lacked consistency so far but has shown how ruthless he can be when at his explosive best. To tame the batter in his tracks, Sri Lanka will likely throw Dilshan Madushanka in attack; the left-arm pacer has lived up to his promise midway through the tournament, claiming 11 wickets in four games - the second-best record - which included four for 50 versus the Netherlands.
Adil Rashid vs Sadeera Samarawickrama
The evergreen Adil Rashid has, yet again, been England’s go-to option to slow down opposition attacks and pick up wickets, especially in those crucial middle overs. Rashid has claimed six in four and has been the reigning champions' second-most prolific bowler after the injured Reece Topley. Rashid could come up against Sri Lanka’s in-form Sadeera Samarawickrama in Thursday’s encounter. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough tournament, scoring 230 runs in four games, including 91 against the Netherlands and 108 versus Pakistan.
Gus Atkinson vs Kusal Mendis
Barring Topley, England’s pace attack has fallen far below expectations in the tournament, four games in. Furthermore, with the left-arm fast bowler now injured, many are keen to observe the shake-up that is bound to happen in England's bowling department, starting with the Sri Lanka encounter. Gus Atkinson, arriving in the competition with a nine-over spell that yielded two wickets at the cost of 60 runs, could be the answer; and his potential battle against the efficient Kusal Mendis on Thursday could set the tone for the crucial game. Mendis’ knock against Pakistan (122) was a sight to behold - albeit they fell just short of winning the match for his country.
