The Netherlands is currently enjoying a wave of success following a significant victory against South Africa, with the Proteas being dismissed for 207 while chasing a target of 245. On the contrary, Sri Lanka’s performance in the ICC World Cup 2023 has been disappointing, as they have suffered losses in all three matches played thus far. Adding to their woes, their captain Dasun Shanaka has been ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh injury. The upcoming match on October 21 is a must-win situation for the Sri Lankan team.
In previous encounters between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, the Asian cricketing giants have emerged victorious in all five matches. Their initial meeting took place during the ICC Champions Trophy 2002, where Marvan Atapattu’s century propelled Sri Lanka to a total of 292/6 in 50 overs. The Sri Lankan bowlers subsequently bundled out the Dutch team for a mere 86 runs in under 30 overs. This match will mark the first meeting between the two teams in an ODI World Cup. The lineups for the upcoming match are as follows: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Colin Ackermann (C), Dhananjaya de Silva, Scott Edwards (WK), Chamika Karunaratne (VC), Roelof van der Merwe, Maheesh Theekshana, and Aryan Dutt.
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow is traditionally known for favoring spinners and slower bowlers, often resulting in low-scoring matches. However, the new World Cup wickets, made from black soil, have exhibited some life, particularly during the first innings of the Australia vs. South Africa match. In that game, South African fast bowlers accounted for six of the ten Australian wickets. In the subsequent match against Sri Lanka, Adam Zampa of Australia took four wickets.
The weather forecast for Lucknow indicates no chance of rain, and the temperature is expected to be around 31 degrees Celsius with 82% humidity, according to Weather.com. Google’s win probability suggests a 79% chance of Sri Lanka winning the match, despite their recent performance in the last three matches. According to CricTracker, Sri Lanka is likely to win the match, regardless of whether they bat first or second. MyKhel believes that while Sri Lanka has a slight advantage, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Netherlands manages to secure another victory. In our analysis, Sri Lanka may be facing morale issues due to consecutive setbacks and the absence of Dasun Shanaka. On the other hand, the Netherlands, buoyed by their recent victory against South Africa, appears poised for another win.
