The first match of the super-Sunday will see the Sri Lankan side play New Zealand at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. And with the losing team in the game almost all set to bow out of the tournament, it will assume the proportions of a must-win game for both.

Talking from permutations and combinations perspective, let us assume that Sri Lanka goes on to win the game. In that case, they will end with two wins from three games, whereas New Zealand will have none from two. With both, South Africa and England having already won one, and about to face each other, it will mean that come what may, the Kiwis will not be able to finish in the top of the group and will be knocked out of the tournament!

Let us assume that the New Zealand side did win the game. That will mean that Sri Lanka will end with one win off their three games. And in that case, if South Africa won their game against England, they will have two wins from three games and qualify for the semi-finals whereas both England and New Zealand - who would have had one from two - would face each other and the winner will get to the semi-finals and knock Sri Lanka out. That means, if Sri Lanka did lose this game, they will need to hope that England wins all their three games, allowing the Lankans to force a three-way tie for the second place with the Kiwis and the Proteas!

All in all, it will be fair to say that both the sides need to win the game to harbour hopes of getting to the knock-out stage.

Fortunately for the New Zealand side, the match will be played at the Wanderers, and the green on the wicket will ensure that Sri Lanka's biggest trump cards, Mendis and Murali are almost rendered useless. Such has been the swing and seam on the wicket, that if one adds to the fact that it will be an early morning start and there could be moisture on the wicket, it is almost a given that the team winning the toss would want to field first and end up almost winning the match!

That said, the teams will need to play good cricket over a period of the entire duration of the game. In the England game, there was an evident let-up of pressure after the English side had scalped the first four wickets for 17, and this allowed them to get away with more than 200. Both the sides will have to guard against that and keep bowling at the right areas throughout. Sri Lanka may want to look at their batting line-up and make the necessary adjustments, probably even get their lower order up and their main guys down the order!

Tag :- England   New Zealand   South Africa   Sri Lankan