Published: Feb 25, 2015, 11:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 25, 2015, 11:29 PM (IST)
Bangladesh are going to play Sri Lanka in an important ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 fixture on Thursday. In the context of the Pool A points table, a lot hinges on the result of this game. Especially for Bangladesh, a win here can almost seal a place in the quarter-finals. But can they overcome their celebrated neighbours? Sandipan Banerjee is buoyant about Bangladesh’s chances. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
Bangladesh started their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 campaign on a high. In their first game Bangladesh thrashed Afghanistan by 105 runs and thanks to the wash-out at Brisbane, they got a crucial one point from their fixture against Australia. So basically the Mashrafe Mortaza-led team have three points from two games and are sitting pretty at the no. 3 position of the Pool A points table. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Pool-wise Team Standings
So a win against Sri Lanka on Thursday could be a defining moment in the tournament. But Can they beat Sri Lanka for the first time in a World Cup? Let’s find out.
1. Sri Lanka’s poor form:
Sri Lanka were outplayed by New Zealand in a One-Day International (ODI) series preceding the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The trend continued in the warm-up games of the World Cup, where the Lankans were comfortably defeated by Zimbabwe. In the main event, they again lost to the Kiwis, failing to stem the inexorable pull of defeat before registering a narrow win against World Cup debutants, Afghanistan. Most of their batsmen are out of touch and their bowlers are struggling to pick up 10 wickets. Bangladesh have a golden opportunity to keep an out of form Sri Lankan team down. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
2. A settled and confident Bangladesh unit:
The current Bangladesh squad which is participating in this mega event is probably their best ever World Cup squad. From quality batting to versatile bowling — the squad covers most bases. Their batsmen are in form, bowlers are performing well. So this time it won’t be easy for Sri Lanka to topple this confident Bangladesh team. Top 10 batsmen in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
3. An in-form Bangladesh bowling attack:
The most inspiring aspect about this Bangladesh team, is their impressive pace bowling attack. The trinity of Mashrafe Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain can be handy in Australian conditions. To back them up, they have good spinners like Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam and Arafat Sunny. So it won’t be a walk in the park for the struggling Sri Lanka batting unit. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
4. Shakib-al Hasan’s best phase of the career:
Shakib Al Hasan remains Bangladesh’s main weapon with bat and ball and is currently experiencing the best phase of his career. He has been ranked the best all-rounder across formats and a fit and in-form Shakib can win a match on his own. So Bangladesh can certainly hope for good things from their premier all-rounder in this crucial game.
5. Sri Lanka’s over dependency on Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayewardene:
The Sri Lankan batting is over dependent on the experience pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayewardene. Against Afghanistan it was only because of Jayewardene’s ton that, Sri Lanka somehow managed to avoid humiliation. So if Bangladesh can get these two wickets cheaply, then their chances of winning will increase significantly.
(Sandipan Banerjee is a reporter at CricketCountry. Cricket has been the biggest passion for him since his childhood. So, when it came to choosing his career, he chose to turn his passion into his profession. Apart from cricket he likes mountain trekking, river rafting, and photography. His twitter handle is @im_sandipan)
