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It is always unpredictable with Bangladesh. One moment it feels like they are on the rise to produce something special, and before you begin to acknowledge them as one of the biggies, they will begin faltering. Sri Lanka have been on a downward slope in limited overs cricket for a while, but they have been showing glimpses of improvement in Tests, which fans would be hoping it translates in other forms.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were up against Afghanistan in their opening games, and both those fixtures transpired very similarly. Their top-order batters couldn’t resist the spin-heavy Afghan attack and got to half-decent totals with great difficulty. Both their bowling departments failed to restrict the Afghan batters, and Sri Lanka are a bit more underwhelming in this respect.
A few years ago, if a three-team group consisted Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, you would’ve expected Afghanistan to get eliminated first. But they are on a different roll in the Asia Cup 2022, and with two brilliant wins on the trot, they are through to the Super Fours.
The Thursday night clash will be a battle for the remaining spot in Group B and the team that loses packs their bags. Both the Lankan Lions and the Bangla Tigers will be keen on not heading home this early in the tournament, and a few extra competitive games will only do good in their World Cup preparations.
Both these sides have encountered each other in 12 T20I, Sri Lanka have won 8 of those, with Bangladesh winning the other 4. Although the Islanders have the upper hand, in the current scenario, there is no predicting which way this game will go.
Key players
If not for Mosaddek Hossain’s valiant cameo in the previous fixture, Bangladesh would have had a much more difficult time dealing with Afghanistan. He got a 31-ball 48, and skipper Shakib might look at him for a finishing role in the next fixture. Their top order has been struggling to score quickly off-late and if the likes of Shakib and Mushfiqur don’t get going, the pressure will be mounted on Mosaddek to get a big innings.
No matter what the situation or game is, Shakib Al Hasan will always be an invaluable player for Bangladesh. He got a decent start with the bat and was impressive with the ball, registering figures of 4/13, as one would expect in these spin-friendly conditions. He will be especially lethal if he takes the new ball, as the Lankans have already fallen once in the spin trap. He requires some good assistance from the pace bowlers, though, which he didn’t get in the last game.
One of the few players in the Sri Lankan setup who understands the modern-day requirements of a batter, Bhanuka Rajapaksa can be that wildcard for the side who will definitely put the side in a good position. We saw that consistently during the IPL, and a bit of it was visible in the opening game as well.
Easily one of the biggest MVPs in T20 cricket, Wanindu Hasaranga is a priceless asset in these conditions. Although his contributions with the bat have not been extravagant, he has done exceedingly well across multiple tournaments and bilateral tours with the ball. Sri Lanka need a big contribution from him and Dasun Shanaka must consider opening the bowling with him.
Prediction
This is a tricky clash for multiple reasons. Both teams have the intent in them, but the players lack confidence or are not experienced enough. Tamim Iqbal’s absence is something Bangladesh will be haunted by for many moons, but there are some pretty good individuals in the horizon.
The opening 40 minutes of the game will decide everything. Toss, as always, will be pivotal as teams would hope to bowl first and take advantage of the spin-friendly conditions early on. It seems like the tracks in UAE will follow the same template as before, with the pitch getting better for batting with time.
If the top order of the team batting first doesn’t get going, half the game could be lost there. When you look at openers from both ends, it is difficult to put a bet on one of the opening pairs to do well, as they are equally vulnerable in these not-really-a-batting-paradise conditions.
The prediction would be for Bangladesh to hold the upper hand slightly, as their pace department looks a bit more sorted than Sri Lanka. They also have a pacer in Mustafizur Rahman, who excels in slower conditions, which could work in their favour given Bangladesh bowl first. However, as mentioned above, toss is once again likely to determine the result.
