More than the sum of the parts is an often-used phrase in the sporting world. But looking at how England have played in the 2023 World Cup, another term comes to mind. That is being less than the sum of their parts.
The defending champions were upset by Afghanistan and that was followed by a crushing defeat against South Africa at the Wankhede cauldron. For a brief period, England were even the last-placed side on the table. To add to their woes, the luckless Reece Topley injured his finger in the Wankhede game and was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the tournament.
Basically, England are at the edge of a precipice as they might have to win all their next five games in order to qualify for the semi-finals. First of those five games is versus Sri Lanka at Chinnaswamy Stadium. The England camp would look towards the misfiring batting unit to find its mojo. On paper, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Ben Stokes are big names. However, England’s batters have managed just four fifties and one hundred combined so far.
Buttler has to lead from the front, having accrued only 77 runs in the World Cup so far. The wicketkeeper-bat has a mere 83 runs at an average of just over 11 in ODIs in India. The bowling hasn’t been much better. Mark Wood, probably the fastest bowler going around, has been all over the shop. Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, the two all-rounders, have also been taken for runs. Brydon Carse, who was called up as a replacement for Topley, does hit the deck hard and also adds batting depth.
Adil Rashid, the leg-spinner, has been arguably England’s best bowler on show, while Gus Atkinson held his own in the carnage in Mumbai. One silver lining for England is Sri Lanka, their opponent, are in a similar boat, having lost three out of four games. Their bowling, in particular, has come under a lot of scrutiny. Dilshan Madushanka, the left-armer, is the lone spark amid the gloom, having bagged 11 wickets. He has bowled zestful spells and generated swing. Meanwhile, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have been the batting mainstays.
So, can England resurrect their fortunes? For the time being, it looks unlikely that they would reach the semi-finals. There is a good chance that this campaign could be ranked among England’s worst, up there with their humiliating exits in 1996 and 2015.
Time and Venue Details
October 26, 2 PM. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bengaluru
Expected conditions
It will be another good wicket for batting. During the Australia-Pakistan game, the pitch slowed down as the game progressed. Buttler, who has already paid the price a couple of times for opting to bowl, might have to rethink his strategy. The humidity is expected to be around 39%. So, there may not be much dew during the second innings.
Possible XI
England: There is a possibility of the experienced Woakes getting the nod in the absence of the injured Topley.
Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (c/wk), Harry Brook, Moeen Ali/Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood/Gus Atkinson.
Sri Lanka: Angelo Matthews, the former skipper, has been named as a replacement for the injured Matheesha Pathirana, but he might have to wait to get an opportunity.
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c/wk) Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha/Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka.
Match-up
Buttler vs the Sri Lankans: Buttler has had his issues against the incoming delivery. The England skipper has also been dismissed a couple of times while trying to steer deliveries through third-man. So, Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha could come into the equation.
Teams speak
If I do play, I could go for a few runs because it’s quite small (ground) and a flat wicket, but it’s also good for batting. It’s one of those grounds where scoring quick and batting deep makes a big difference.
Moeen Ali, England
Well, mostly, I mean, our top-order is quite settled, so wherever the team wants me, wherever the captain, the coach wants me to bat, I will bat. And it looks like I’ll bat in the middle-order.
Angelo Matthews, Sri Lanka