ICC World Cup 2023: Kiwi hopes hang by a thread!

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson during a practice session yesterday. Pics/PTI

New Zealand began their World Cup campaign in a blaze, with four wins on the trot, including a nine-wicket rout of England in the opener. Ironically, it was in the hills of Dharamsala that their downward spiral began, after losing to India. That was the start of a four-match losing streak that has left their chances of qualification for the semi-final hanging by a slender thread.

Kane Williamson's men must defeat underachieving Sri Lanka in their final league fixture at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium today to stay afloat. Victory will not guarantee them a place in the last four, but they will at least have done their bit, which is all they can ask for after the massive setbacks of the last three weeks when they have stumbled from one loss to another, the last of them at this same venue on Saturday against Pakistan. The other contenders for the final semi-final slot are Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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Rain threat looms

On that instance, not even 401 was enough to save the day, even if Pakistan needed the DLS Method to bail them out in a rain-hit encounter. There is forecast for thunderstorms at various stages in the afternoon and New Zealand will be hoping that doesn't eventuate, for they'd rather their fate be decided on the field of play than through other methods.

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It's been a funny old run for the Kiwis. Rachin Ravindra, him of the Bangalore connection, is the third highest run-maker of the World Cup and Mitchell Santner figures among the top ten wicket-takers. They haven't really played badly except against South Africa when they went down by 190 runs, but they haven't seized the moments or made their own luck, which is why they find themselves in this desperate situation.

Struggling Sri Lankans

Sri Lanka have had a tournament to forget. Apart from a stunning conquest of England, again at the Chinnaswamy ten days back, they have nothing but one win against Netherlands to show for their efforts. Their batting has been remarkably inconsistent and their catching woefully below par - they have the worst catching efficiency of the ten teams on view. Dilshan Madushanka has had a fabulous time with a tournament-high 21 sticks but no one else has taken more than eight wickets, with Maheesh Theekshana, of whom much was expected, the biggest disappointment.

Sri Lanka can point to the absence at the start of the World Cup of several key bowlers - leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has missed the entire tournament - but that still doesn't explain their total lack of penetration with the ball. Armed with the outrage stemming from the Angelo Mathews ‘timed out' incident in Delhi a couple of days back against Bangladesh, they will target one final hurrah, as much to stay in the race for a Champions Trophy berth as to drive daggers deep into Kiwi hearts, even if that might not be their objective.