New Zealand rout Sri Lanka: Here are the key takeaways
New Zealand came up with a fascinating all-round display as they tamed former champions Sri Lanka, in the third match of the ICC World Cup 2019 at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Saturday. While it was expected to be a cracker, the Lankan batsmen had no answers for Kiwi's exquisite bowling. It was followed by flawless batting. We present the takeaways from this tie.
How did the match pan out?
Winning the toss, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson elected to bowl first. The decision turned out to be a perfect one as Lanka kept losing regular wickets, and they were bundled for 136, courtesy Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson's three-wicket haul. In reply, the Lankan bowlers too could not produce any magic as New Zealand comfortably sailed home without losing a wicket.
Lanka should have included Dinesh Chandimal in their squad
Although this may sound weird, but Lanka are missing the services of Test batsman Dinesh Chandimal. This year, Lanka have been performing poorly in ODIs, as they have the tendency to lose wickets in a flurry. In such situations Chandimal can come handy. He has an ability to bat in a composed manner, without buckling under pressure.
Angelo Mathews should be batting higher up the order
In a surprise move, Lanka's highly accomplished middle-order batsman Angelo Mathews was sent down to bat at number six. Having lost four wickets, Lanka were already struggling and Mathews couldn't do anything. Instead, he should have been promoted a little up the order. His preferred position is number five where he has scored runs at an average of 51.30.
Colin de Grandhomme's weird knack of getting big wickets
In another surprising observation, we have noticed that Kiwi all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme has a knack of claiming at least one big wicket in a match. While he claimed Mathews in this tie, the previous warm-up tie saw him getting rid of Virat Kohli. If that's the case, why was he ignored by Kohli during IPL 2019? Only Kohli can answer it.
