Netherlands look to continue winning as Lankan challenge awaits

The Dutch team were absolutely ruthless against the Proteas in Dharamshala. It was no fluke. No lucky victory. It was a clinical takedown of a strong team by a side with strong pacers and a mercurial captain. The Netherlands would look to repeat the same against Sri Lanka, the only team without a win in this World Cup.

Sri Lanka had a great start with their openers in their last game in Lucknow against Australia, but their middle order failed them. Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama were due a failure, but the lack of runs from Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva will be troubling Sri Lanka again. 

With the pitch in Lucknow assisting spin, the contest between Dutch batters and Lankan spinners would again be the highlight of this contest. 

Things to Look out for 

Scott Edwards, the skipper and sweeper 

Born in Tonga, raised in Australia, and playing cricket for the Netherlands, Scott Edwards has had the most unusual life. 

Also read - Scott Edwards and Netherlands finally have their day under the sun in India

However, it was nothing unusual when he came at 82 for 5 and took his team to 245 in 43 overs. It was an exemplary innings of 78*(69) runs in every sense of the word - setting a standard that every Dutch batter would try to match. Amongst all that, what stood out was his tactical astuteness and maximizing every shot and bad ball. 

“…The small decisions he is making day-to-day just in his body, recovery and all those things are inspirational to watch for a lot of the players and certainly for me as a coach as well. It has been fantastic to work with him. On top of that, he is tactically astute and really wants to get every inch out of it; it makes for a very pleasurable relationship” Ryan Cook, the Netherlands head coach, said about Edwards in a chat with Cricket.com.

Meanwhile, as a batter, Edwards has been amongst the top 10 against spinners in the World since 2021, averaging 66.5 and striking at 100.7. The main reason behind these numbers is the number of sweep shots Edwards attempted. He has played the most number of sweeps in the World (219), 82 shots more than the next best in the list! 

Against the Lankan spinners, Scott Edwards would be the Netherlands' best bet. It’s time he gives himself the batting position he deserves.

DDS, will you please show up?

To say that Dhananjaya de Silva has been poor with the bat for Sri Lanka in ODIs will be an understatement. 

The Lankan number 6 is averaging just 26.27 and an SR of 81.8 with the bat since the 2019 World Cup. He is one of the main reasons why Sri Lanka have failed to continue the momentum given by the likes of Kusal Mendis. 

With the ball, he’s been Sri Lanka’s third spinner for some time now. But the fact that he’s averaging 42.1 and takes 52.4 balls/dismissal it shows that Sri Lanka can’t even rely on him for wickets. His economy has been decent (4.8) since the last World Cup, but in India, he’s giving runs at 6.84 RPO in his career. 

He needs to do more for his team to justify his position in ODI cricket. Much more. 

Ground Details and Conditions

Most analysis related to the conditions at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow doesn't apply now because the pitch at this venue was relaid just before the World Cup and is now largely batting-friendly in the first innings, with the spinners getting decent assistance with the old ball and during the second innings. 

South Africa scored 311 in the first game, and even Sri Lanka started really well against Australia, with their openers scoring 61 and 78, respectively. Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa have bowled quite well here, getting purchases off the slow surface. 

Sri Lankan spinners Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana will be the key again for their team. Aryan Dutt, the Dutch spinner, had bowled well in Hyderabad, and his left-arm spin partner Roelof van der Merve would be excited to bowl in Lucknow as well, especially if they do so in the second innings. 

Tactical Insights 

1) Kusal Mendis is weak against Right Arm pacers and short balls. Overall, he averages 25.8 against them, but whenever pacers (both right and left arm) bowl short at him, his average drops to 15, and he is dismissed on every 10.5 short balls. 

Meanwhile, against Left-arm orthodox, he hardly gets out but strikes at only 71.4 against them since 2022, his lowest against any bowler type. 

The Netherlands should attack against Sri Lanka’s best batter with Paul van Meekeren from one end and Roelof from the other, first strangulating him and then going for the kill. 

2) Bas de Leede, the most important batter for the Netherlands along with Scott Edwards, struggles against left-arm pace (average 14.3) and spin (average 27). Sri Lanka should target him with Dilshan Madhushanka and Wellalage. 

Probable XIs 

With no new injury concerns with both teams, they should both go with the same XIs as they did in their last games 

Sri Lanka - Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c) & (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madhushanka

Netherlands - Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engerbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (c) & (wk), Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren