Sydney, March 17 (IANS) It will be a highly-charged contest between two powerful batting line-ups as former champions Sri Lanka take on superbly talented but traditional under-performers South Africa in the first quarter-final of the cricket World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Wednesday.
In a quest for their maiden title, South Africa last made the semi-final in 2007. The other times they made the grade was in 1992 and 1999. The Proteas' redoubtable teams of yore have fallen at crunch matches on the biggest stage; they either failed to hold their nerves, or lady luck ran out, and once the rain washed them out.
In contrast, Sri Lanka, who lifted the title in 1996 and finished runners-up in 2007 and 2011, are known for their cool and unflinching temperament on big days.
The SCG could see a run feast because of the batting friendly track and the sheer quality of willowers on both sides. But it will be interesting to see what the bowlers come up with to hamper the party.
Both rivals will rely on their go-to man to pulverise the opponent bowlers. South Africa will bank upon batting genius-cum-skipper AB De Villiers while the Lankans would hope for another great knock from left-handed bat Kumar Sangakkara who has so far been in a league of his own with four back-to-back centuries.
The Proteas will also have the services of the left-handers like J.P. Duminy, Riley Rossouw and David Miller, who will try and bat around de Villiers and stitch the batting effort together. Lending further solidity would be the return of Faf du Plessis, who missed the game against the United Arab Emirates due to a lower-back injury.
For the islanders, it will be the veterans once again on whom the onus to score the runs will be on. Mahela Jayawardene, playing his last World Cup, and Tillakaratne Dilshan would hope to contribute substantially alongside Sangakkara.
South Africa's bowling will be led by the pacy Dale Steyn while for the Lankans, the golden-haired talisman Lasith Malinga would be the spearhead.
Nuwan Kulasekara will share the new-ball with Malinga and the likes of Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna will have a stiff challenge to rein in the marauding South African top and middle order. However, for skipper Angelo Mathews, the biggest concern is the availability of Rangana Herath, who is recovering from a finger injury.
At the other end, Vernon Philander gets to bowl upfront with Steyn before Morne Morkel comes in as a first change followed by leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Duminy. Tahir -- the only spinner to take a five-wicket haul (against the West Indies) in this tournament so far -- could be the man to watch. He has a decent record against Sri Lanka and his overs in the middle could determine the course of the game.
On their way to the knockouts, South Africa finished second to India in Pool B losing two and winning four. The Asians too boast of the same record but were third in Pool A after co-hosts New Zealand and Australia.
For the statistically-minded, the two sides have clashed 69 times in One-Day Internationals (ODI) with Sri Lanka winning 29, one more than their rivals. There was no result in one match while the remaining one was a tie.
The Proteas though hold a slim edge over Lanka when it comes to World Cups. Out of four matches played, South Africa have won two and Sri Lanka have pocketed one while the other game was a tie.
Losing to India and Pakistan have exposed Proteas' weakness against Asian outfits which the Lankans would want to exploit. On the other hand Sri Lanka have lost to non-subcontinent sides like New Zealand and Australia which once again gives the self-belief to the Africans.
Whatsoever, it is unlikely to be a cakewalk for either.
Squads:
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dushmantha Chameera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Kumar Sangakkara, Sachithra Senanayake, Upul Tharanga
South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn.
Medicine From The Sky: Now medicines will be supplied from the 'sky', this state started drone-based healthcare
Arunachal Pradesh on Monday successfully launched the first flight of drone service 'Medicine From The Sky' from Seppa in East Kameng district to Chaoyang Tajo. Chief Minister Pema Khandu gave this
Sister Shweta Singh Kirti became emotional on the death anniversary of Sushant Singh Rajput, shared a special picture of her brother
Sushant Singh Rajput 3rd Death Anniversary: Sushant Singh Rajput was the rising star of Bollywood. Sushant had made a special place in the film industry in a very short time with his hard work and
WHO warning to the world, said - deadly corona virus is getting 'worse'
Switzerland: Corona virus cases are increasing worldwide. On Monday, the number of infections from this epidemic crossed 70 lakhs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the world that now
IPL 2022: Mumbai's troubles did not reduce even after defeat, the heavy fine were imposed on other players including captain Rohit
In this season of the Indian Premier League, the troubles of Mumbai Indians are not taking the name of lessening. On the one hand, where the team has to face the 5th defeat, on the other hand, all the
Russia Ukraine War: The uproar over the bodies of 410 civilians found near Kyiv, strongly condemned by America, France, and Germany
The Russian military's actions in Ukraine have triggered intense condemnation after 410 bodies of civilians were found in Bucha and some other towns and villages near the capital Kyiv. The United
Elvish Yadav Case: Elvish reached Noida police station with the convoy at midnight, answered fearfully for three hours; crowd outside the police station
Bigg Boss winner Elvish Yadav appeared before Noida Police in connection with the case of supplying snake venom at a rave party. Noida's Sector 20 police station interrogated Elvish Yadav for three
Rajnath Singh: Defense Minister Rajnath met soldiers in Imphal, said - I also wanted to join the army
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met Army and Assam Rifles personnel in Imphal today. During this, he interacted with the officers and jawans and also got to know their condition. Rajnath Singh said,
Raisina Dialogue 2022: PM Modi will inaugurate Raisina Dialogue today, representatives of 90 countries will participate
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the seventh Raisina Dialogue on Monday. Launched just seven years ago in 2016, the Raisina Dialogue has become an important forum not only for Indian
CM Yogi sought a list of careless officers, action may be taken against the divisional commissioners of Ayodhya and Agra
After seeking reports from the Tehsildar to the DM for negligence in settling revenue disputes, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has now summoned the report of the Divisional Commissioners. Chief
Why do laptops overheat while working, how to correct the problem of overheating in laptops
Many times you must have noticed that the laptop gets very hot while working. By the way, when we use electronic devices, they heat up a bit. But if it gets too hot, it can be a bit dangerous too.
