NZ vs SL Live Score: The Match 41 of the ODI World Cup 2023 will see New Zealand locking horns with Sri Lanka. New Zealand has lost four matches at a trot & has a last chance to qualify for the semi-finals by dismantling Sri Lanka. They are still on the fourth Spot at the Points Table with 8 points. But after their defeat to Pakistan, their NRR dropped to 0.389. The Balck Caps can qualify for the semi-finals if they beat Sri Lanka in today’s fixture. But at the same time, they will hope that both Pakistan & Afghanistan who have 8 points don’t win their respective final league stage fixtures. If rain played a spoilsport in this fixture then New Zealand will remain with 9 points & will hope that both Pakistan & Afghanistan lose their respective league stage fixtures to qualify for the Semi-finals.
TEAMS PREVIEW
New Zealand Preview
New Zealand started the tournament on a high note by winning four fixtures at a trot but later their performance suffered a setback & they lost matches at a trot. They will now have to win this clash against Sri Lanka by hook or crook if staying alive in the tournament is on their mind.
Their bowling performance is not up to the mark in the last four games. Their key bowlers suffered injuries but they will hope to put on a much better show against Sri Lanka. If Ferguson is still unfit, the Kiwis might try Kyle Jamieson. He is a tall fast bowler, and his pace and bounce might trouble the Lankan batters.
The onus will be on Trent Boult to get some early wickets. In their last fixture, Boult went for 50 runs in his 6 overs against Pakistan without taking a single wicket. However, he is a good bowler & we expect him to make an impact here. Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner bowled well in the last game on this wicket and should do well here as well.
One big positive for New Zealand is the return of Williamson. The Captain made an early impact with a classy 95 off just 79 balls. The Lankan bowlers will need to watch out for Rachin Ravindra who is in exceptional form. He is among the top run-scorers in World Cup 2023 with 523 runs in 8 innings at an average of 74.71 and a strike rate of 107.
Phillips got his mojo back in the last couple of fixtures & is hitting big shots at a trot. If the game is reduced, the Black Caps will be tempted to send Phillips up in the order.
New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:
Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi/ Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Sri Lanka Preview
Sri Lanka is out of the semi-finals race but they can ruin New Zealand’s chances by winning this match. Ending in the top seven in the ODI World Cup 2023 will help them to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 along with Pakistan. Currently, the Lankans are in the eighth position, and a win here might take them to the top seven.
However, Lankan is struggling after facing a humiliating 302-run loss to India where they were out for 55 & went on to lose their next fixture against Bangladesh as well. On batter-friendly Arun Jaitley Stadium they could post just 279 runs, thanks to Aslaanka’s 108. However, Bangladesh reached the target comfortably in the end. Tema will hope that Mendis delivers with the bat if winning is on their mind. After an incredible start to the tournament, Lanka has just fallen off. The batter needs to step up & take the charge. Samarawickrama is the leading run-scorer in the tournament in ODI World Cup 2023 with 372 runs in 8 innings at an average of 62.
He should step up & perform in this clash. Lankan bowlers have led their team down often. Madushanla has been their standout performer. The fats bowler is now the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets at an average of 22.23. In the bowling order, none of their bowlers had a decent show & they conceded runs. On the batter-friendly pitch, the likes of Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, and Maheesh Theekshana will really need to bowl tight lines, or they are likely to be carted all over the park.
Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka
PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is batter paradise. There is no lateral movement for the seam bowlers, & spinners could do much on this pitch. Batters can go berserk right from the beginning & seamers will have to bowl plenty of off-cutters & slow bowls to continue the flow of runs.
It has been raining in Bengaluru for the last few days, and rain is expected to halt the match during the afternoon. The weather will remain mostly cloudy through the day, with a couple of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.
Toss to Bowl:
Rain is expected to ruin the proceedings in this match & therefore the team winning the toss will opt to bowl first. As they will aim to restrict the opponents to a small target of the match is reduced due to rain.
Winning prediction
Considering the head-to-head Sri Lanka & New Zealand have played 11 matches out of which Lanka have won 6 & the Kiwis 5. New Zealand have lost their last four matches on a trot but still, they have a much better side than Sri Lanka. Their batting order is good & their bowlers are much more competent than their counterparts. New Zealand will be a formidable opponent for Lanka as they haven’t registered a win in their past seven ODI face-offs. With the semi-final place at stake, the Kiwis will get their all in this fixture & secure a win in this match.
We predict New Zealand to win
Also read, Glenn Maxwell scripts history, broke Records with 201*
