Both sides have got their bullying out of the way, having beaten Zimbabwe by 82 runs and 10 wickets respectively, and Sri Lanka and South Africa are now ready to do business. That may sound odd that both having neither have been challenged properly yet and will want to test themselves before a tough next round(both have qualified for super 8)
Sri Lanka will be happy with the form of one of their most important bowlers, Ajantha Mendis. His 6 for 8 are figures unlikely to be repeated. He deceived the Zimbabwe batsmen with an assortment of carom balls and googlies and while the South African line-up may not be so easily hoodwinked, some of them are known to have a weakness against spin.
South Africa's middle order remains untested after only Richard Levi and Hashim Amla batted against Zimbabwe and they are yet to face any pressure, a catalyst for some of their worst major tournament showing.
South Africa's seamers were effective on the Hambantota pitch and even though their spinners were not called into action too much, they have enough options available to them to be able to afford one bowler having a bad day. The Lankans have similar variation in their ranks, with enough allrounders to have all bases covered and with the advantage of their middle order having had a decent run.
By all accounts the match-ups between the teams pre-empts a much closer contest than the group has seen so far.It is surely going to be a tough one. Even though it will not be decisive in terms of who the team play in the next round it will be important in determining who has more might for the big duels ahead.
Sri Lanka have an injury worry with their strike spinner, Ajantha Mendis, picking up a side strain after the Zimbabwe game. His fitness will be assessed on the day of the game. If he sits out, the offspinner Akila Dananjaya could be in line for his international debut.
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