New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, ICCWCT20 2022, Today Match Prediction 29 October 2022

nz vs sl Match Prediction & Analysis

A neck-strangling competition in Group A is coming to the final stages, yet there are no favorites. With all the buzz, table toppers New Zealand will take on the Asia Cup winners, Sri Lanka, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The match is scheduled to take place on 29th October from 1:30 pm IST. New Zealand have beaten Australia and have shared a point with Afghanistan, while Sri Lanka have 1 win and 1 loss in the two games.

New Zealand registered an upset in the first match of the World Cup by beating the current champions and hosts, Australia. An anchored inning from Devon Conway (92*), followed by some fabulous hitting by Neesham at the end, helped New Zealand put 200 runs on the board for losing three wickets. Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner took 3 wickets each to win the game by 89 runs. New Zealand shared a point with Afghanistan in the second game after rain forced them to abandon the game.

Sri Lanka faced the wrath of Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in the second game at Perth. Batting first, Sri Lanka managed to score 157 runs. Lankan bowlers couldn’t survive the lethal attack from Stoinis (59* off 18) and Maxwell after their lead bowler Binura Fernando walked off the pitch with discomfort in the first over. With the loss, Sri Lanka has 2 points in two games and are currently placed at number 2 in the points table. With England, Australia & Afghanistan, and Ireland playing before them, the chances of Lanka’s position dipping to number 4 are highly likely.

TEAMS PREVIEW

New Zealand Preview

New Zealand management must be happy with a winning start to the World Cup campaign. They will go with an unchanged squad against Sri Lanka. Finn Allen and Devon Conway will open the innings for New Zealand. The openers put a 56 runs stand in just 4 overs of the game against Australia. Allen scored 42 off 16 deliveries with 5 fours and 3 sixes. On the other hand, Conway scored an unbeaten 92 off 58 deliveries. Conway has scored 431 runs this year at an average of 71.83. Skipper Kane Williamson will come at number 3. His strike rate below 120 can put New Zealand in a difficult spot.

This year, Glenn Phillips and James Nisham in the middle order have created havoc for the opposition. Phillips is New Zealand’s leading run scorer this year, with 461 runs at a strike rate of 152.64. Nisham has 245 runs in the same number of games at a strike rate of 192.91. With Daryl Mitchell sidelined due to an injury, Mark Chapman will be New Zealand’s choice at number 6. Chapman has scored 142 runs in 4 innings at a strike rate of 173.17.

Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson will lead the pace attack for New Zealand. Southee took 3 wickets in the first game for just 6 runs, while Boult took 2 for 24 in his 4 overs spell. Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner will be the obvious choices for spin options. The duo has 38 wickets this year with a combined economy of 7.5.

Key Players: Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee

New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:

Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

New Zealand Actual Playing XI:

Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, James Neesham, Tim Southee

Sri Lanka Preview

Sri Lanka have been unpredictable this year. They won the Asia Cup after losing their first game. The history repeated in the qualifiers of the World Cup. They lost the game against Namibia but then bounced back to top the group. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis will open the innings. Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s leading run scorer this year, with 636 runs in 21 matches. But his strike rate is just 111.38. Mendis has 474 runs in 17 matches with a strike rate of 135.42. Though Nissanka scored 40 against Australia, his strike rate will make Sri Lanka think to go with Dhananjaya de Silva over him. 

The Sri Lankan middle order has proved their worth in the last few games. Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka have scored 732 runs in 34 innings this year at a strike rate of 138. Among the playing 11, Shanaka has the highest strike rate of 140. This clearly shows that Sri Lanka might suffer if New Zealand puts a high total on the board.

The Sri Lankan bowling unit is heavily dependent on Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theeksana. Hasaranga is Sri Lanka’s reading wicket-taker this year, with 28 wickets in 16 games at an economy of 7.91. In comparison, Theeksana has 21 wickets this year at an economy of 6.58 - the lowest among the Sri Lankan bowlers. Hasaranga went for 53 runs in 3 overs against Australia. With Binura Fernando’s inclusion under the scanner, Sri Lanka can go with Kasun Rajitha or Jeffrey Vandersay with Lahiru Kumara.

Key Players: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga.

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Kumara.

Sri Lanka Actual Playing XI:

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Maheesh Theekshana, Pathum Nissanka, Kasun Rajitha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Lahiru Kumara, Dasun Shanaka, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Wanidu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather will be sunny with no chance of rain.  The temperature will range between 13 and 25°C. The wind will be flowing from the west at 21-22 kmh. The pitch favors batters. A high-scoring game is expected. The lowest first-innings total is 179 in the last three games. There is enough pace and bounce for pacers on SCG. 

Venue Details

The 27th T20I of the ICC T20 WC between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be played at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. The game is scheduled to start at 1:30 pm on 29th October. The venue holds a capacity of 48000 spectators and has hosted 110 Tests, 161 ODIs & 15 T20Is so far.

Toss: To Bat

In the 15 T20Is, the results have favored the team batting first. 9 outcomes have gone with the team defending the target. Even Australia's highest score recorded at Sydney, 221, came in the first innings against England. 5 out of the last 6 games at Sydney have been won by the team batting first. The team winning the toss should bat first.