New Delhi:
England is operating like a well-oiled machine in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. They have the firepower at the top with Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan. The skipper signalled his intent in the game against Afghanistan when he blasted a world record 17 sixes in a match. England has also posted the two biggest totals in the World Cup with 386 and 397 against Bangladesh and Afghanistan respectively. In stark contrast, Sri Lanka is at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Against New Zealand, Afghanistan and Australia, they suffered batting collapses and are now in a position where another loss could end their hopes of reaching the semis.
Sri Lanka will draw inspiration from how Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera played in the game against Australia. Their aggression and attacking style defined how Sri Lanka used to play their cricket in their heydays. The path set by Karunaratne and Perera will have to be replicated by the other batsmen if they have to pose a fight. When it comes to bowling, England has pace in Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. For Sri Lanka, they do not have the pace to match England and this could be a big problem.
Team combinations
With the nature of the wicket in Leeds tending to be hard, England might want to get back Liam Plunkett in place of Moeen Ali. For Sri Lanka, Suranga Lakmal might replace Milinda Siriwardena but Sri Lanka might want more depth in their batting.
England (Playing XI): Jonny Bairstow, James Vince, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Moeen Ali/Liam Plunkett, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Kusal Perera(w), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Milinda Siriwardana/Suranga Lakmal, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep
Who will win?
On current form, England is in great touch and they look good to break their losing streak against Sri Lanka.
Weather and pitch
There were light showers on Thursday but on match-day, it is expected to be fine with some cloud cover. No rain expected. The pitch in Leeds has traditionally favoured batting, unlike the Test pitch where there is assistance for bowlers.
Statistics
England has a superior head-to-head record against Sri Lanka with six wins while they have lost four games. However, in the recent past, Sri Lanka has held the upper hand winning three consecutive games from 2007 till 2015. The last two, in particular, have been by massive margins of 10 wickets and nine wickets.
Stadium and timings
The match will be played at Leeds and the match will begin at 3:00 PM IST.
