ICC World Cup 2019: Match 44, Sri Lanka vs India, Match Prediction – Weather Report, Pitch Conditions, Playing XIs and Live Streaming Details

In World Cup cricket, Lanka has beaten the Men in Blue four times out of eight matches.

Published - 05 Jul 2019, 16:59 IST | Updated - 05 Jul 2019, 16:59 IST

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Sri Lanka pulled off a massive upset against hosts England to reignite their hopes of qualifying for the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. The Lankans also got past a spirited Windies to keep themselves in contention. However, Eoin Morgan’s Three Lions won their last couple of league games against India and New Zealand to end Lanka’s chances. Dimuth Karunaratne and Co are placed sixth in the points table.

Their last match is versus India on July 6 at Headingley in Leeds and the Islanders would be looking to salvage some pride. The Men in Blue are already through to the next round after beating Bangladesh at the Edgbaston. Barring their defeat at the hands of the Brits, Virat Kohli’s men haven’t put a foot wrong. A victory in the last encounter could also help them end the league phase on top of the ladder.

Weather Report

There is around 11 per cent chance of rain until 12 am with 70 per cent cloud cover throughout the encounter. The conditions will be overcast. The atmosphere will be cool with the temperature in between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. The humidity will be around the 60s at the start but will come down to the 40s by the end of the match.

Pitch Report

The pitch in the first two games helped the spinners to a large extent. But in the previous game, the tweakers could only manage three wickets, bowling 39 overs. The track last time produced 599 runs. If a similar sort of a strip is dished out, then a high scoring game can be expected. Teams should opt to bat first after winning as the chasing teams have found it tough at the venue.

Team Combinations

Sri Lanka

The Lankans may not wish to tinker with their winning combination. Dimuth Karunaratne has looked a tad out of touch after some decent knocks at the start of the tournament. Kusal Perera, having scored 255 runs at a strike-rate of 9.91, has by far looked their most consistent batsman. Avishka Fernando scored a ton in the erstwhile encounter and he would be in a positive frame of mind.

Kusal Mendis has promised but also thrown away starts. Barring the unbeaten 85 versus England, even Angelo Mathews has been lacklustre. In the bowling department, Lasith Malinga has been their standout performer with 12 wickets. Dhananjaya de Silva and pacer Isuru Udana have gotten five wickets each, but have been far from effective.

Probable XI

Dimuth Karunaratne (C), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Kasun Rajitha, Lasith Malinga

India

After having already qualified, India may make a few changes even if they want to be conservative. Jasprit Bumrah needs to be fresh for the semis and hence, he might be rested. Ravindra Jadeja, who played the warm-ups may get a chance. KL Rahul got a 77 in the last game and that would keep him in good stead. Rohit Sharma isn’t showing signs of slowing down, having scored 544 runs with four tons in the mega event.

Rishabh Pant also showed promise in the first two games. The focus will again be on MS Dhoni and his approach while batting. Dinesh Karthik is likely to get one opportunity before the knockouts. Mohammed Shami’s death bowling has been concerning, but he has been picking up wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal is in excellent form with 11 wickets. Even Bhuvneshwar Kumar was good in the Bangladesh game.

Probable XI

KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik/Kedar Jadhav, Jasprit Bumrah/Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal