Sri Lanka takes on Zimbabwe in crucial match Sunday

It will be an acid Test for Sri Lanka as they face Zimbabwe in their third crucial match of triangular series scheduled to be held tomorrow at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium at Mirpur in the city.

The day/night match kicks off at 12 pm. Sri Lanka must have to win their third match against Zimbabwe as If they lose this next game, they will have exit from the championship race following their two consecutive defeats - the first by 12 runs against the same opponents and the second by 163 runs against the hosts, BSS reported.

Expectations of this Sri Lanka team were not high. They had spent much of losing lavishly in all corners of the world last year and even by those standards, the situation is worse in the New Year as they are yet to win a match in a tri-series featuring the sixth and tenth-ranked sides.

Incredibly - and unthinkably only eight months ago - it is Zimbabwe who are the more highly-favoured side. This is the same Zimbabwe who had lost a series at home to Afghanistan last year. The same Zimbabwe who, have not played ODIs since last July, of the six most recent matches between these teams, Zimbabwe have won four - three of those victories having come in Sri Lanka.

With Brendan Taylor back in their ranks, and Sikandar Raza consistently producing high-impact performances, source cricinfo.

However, as the square in Mirpur wears down, it is perhaps on the spin front that this match will be won or lost. Sri Lanka are blooding Akila Dananjaya, who has had steady performances so far, but is yet to develop into a consistent match-winner.

For Zimbabwe, the likes of Graeme Cremer and Raza have been more reliably penetrative. Having just been bowled out for 157 by the Bangladesh attack, Sri Lanka's top order have some serious rebounding to do.

Squads:

Sri Lanka: 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Niroshan Dickwella (wicket keeper), 5 Dinesh Chandimal (captain.) 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Nuwan Pradeep.

Zimbabwe: 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendon Taylor (wicket keeper), 5 Sikander Raza, 6 Malcolm Waller 7 PJ Moor, 8 Graeme Cremer (captain.), 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Blessing Muzarabani.