 New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in a do-or-die Super Eights game at Trent
Bridge in Nottingham to decide who goes through to the semi-finals from the Group
F. A lot will depend on the result of the Ireland-Pakistan game on Monday as well,
but assuming that Pakistan will be able to overcome the challenge of the Irish,
a Sri Lankan win will see the two Asian teams go through, while if the Kiwis beat
Sri Lanka, it will be a three-way tie between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Sri Lanka will definitely go into the game as favourites, and that has a lot
to do with the injuries to the Kiwi side and their own balance in the batting
and bowling. T.Dilshan is already blowing hot with his form, having had only
one failure - against Ireland - while Sanath Jayasuriya slowly getting
the move on. Kumar Sangakkara did play well in the first couple of games
of the tournament, and can easily get back to his best self, while the last
remaining cog in the Sri Lankan wheel, Mahela Jayawardene - had a great previous
game against the Irish and won the man-of-the-match award for his fluent half
century.
The bowling looks like it is from another planet. And for the Kiwis to be able
to bat out the likes of Lasith Malinga, M.Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis,
would be a task seeped in great difficulty. The thing that could work in the
Kiwi favour is that Brendon McCullum would have faced Mendis many a times in
the nets for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and if skipper Daniel Vettori
could shuffle around the order a bit and get his wicket-keeper to bat around
the time Mendis bowls, it could negate the mystery factor.
However, the Kiwis will also rely on other batsmen like Martin Guptill
and the experienced Scott Styris to be able to deliver the goods. In
the absence of Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor, who could end up being out of the
tournament with his hamstring injury, there will be a greater emphasis on the
other senior Kiwi batsmen to be able to get the desired runs.
It is the bowling that could sting the Kiwis, if their skipper does play the
game but isn't fit enough to get the zip off the track. Ian Butler is one who
needs to bowl first change, while Nathan McCullum will hope to bowl as
well as he has in the tournament; being economical and difficult to score off,
in turn taking wickets for his team. New Zealand will know that a loss here,
will end their hopes of making it to the semi-finals after it had looked at
one stage, that they were one of the dark horses to win the trophy!
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