A highly anticipated rematch of the iconic 2011 World Cup final is set to take place at the Wankhede Stadium as India and Sri Lanka go head-to-head on November 2. The buzz surrounding this match has been centered on its historical significance. However, the two teams find themselves in contrasting situations.
India is in a dominant position, having won all six of their matches and needing just one more victory to secure a spot in the semi-finals. In a recent game against England, when India's usually reliable batting had an off day, their bowlers, led by Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, stepped up and dismantled the English batting lineup.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka had a tough time in Pune, suffering a defeat to Afghanistan that has left their semi-final aspirations hanging by a thread. The Sri Lankan team now requires a resounding victory in Mumbai to stay alive in the competition.
With so much at stake, the lineups for both teams will be closely monitored. For India, the question on everyone's mind is whether the team management will make any changes to the winning combination from the match against England. There has been speculation about Ravichandran Ashwin getting some game time before the semi-finals. However, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma hinted in a press conference that his pacers are eager to stay in action, suggesting that India is likely to stick with the same lineup that played in the last game in Lucknow.
"As far as the resting for the bowlers are concerned, I think they are in great rhythm at this point in time. They don't want to rest. Body is fine. And this is the feedback that I've gotten from all the bowlers. So, they are happy to play games," said Rohit.
For Sri Lanka, it appears that they may not have much room for changes, as injuries and a lack of form have plagued them throughout the tournament. As the teams gear up for this crucial clash, the spotlight will be on India's quest to maintain their winning streak and Sri Lanka's desperate bid to stay alive in the competition.
India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka Predicted XI: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka.
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