ICC World Cup 2023: Do-or-die for England!

England’s Ben Stokes trains at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday; England’s captain Jos Buttler during a practice session ahead of the match against Sri Lanka in Bangalore yesterday. Pics/PTI

Three weeks ago, on the eve of England's World Cup opener against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Jos Buttler came up with a couple of throwaway lines that invariably come back to hurt the speaker. "I don't see us as defending champions," England's captain insisted. "We are not defending anything. I want us to attack, so I don't like the word defending."

England gasping

Four matches into the tournament, England haven't attacked, nor have they defended. They have been reduced to whipping boys, a development no one would have foreseen. Battered by the Kiwis, humbled by Afghanistan and hammered by South Africa, Buttler's England are gasping for breath, victory against Bangladesh in Dharamsala the sole saving grace thus far.

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In direct contrast to the brand of cricket that has characterised their cricket over the last half-a-dozen years, England have been timid and diffident, their cause not helped by Jonny Bairstow's indifferent form or the unavailability of Ben Stokes for the first three matches. If they aren't already there, they are perilously close to the point of no-return. With just two points from four outings and a net run rate of -1.248, England occupy the ninth place in the table, needing to win their remaining five matches, and win them well, to mount a late charge for the semi-finals.

The first step in the road to redemption must perforce be taken at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, when England run into equally embattled Sri Lanka. Forced to come through the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June-July, the 1996 champions are eighth on the table, having won only once in four fixtures. Their campaign has been riddled with injuries - they already arrived without key bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga - and the subsequent lack of penetration with the ball, and they have made a last-ditch effort to resurrect a losing cause by turning to former skipper Angelo Mathews, summoned as injury-replacement for Matheesha Pathirana.

Mathews likely to return

Indications from the Lankan camp are that Mathews will walk into the XI, either at the expense of Dhananjaya de Silva or Dushan Hemantha, on a Chinnaswamy flatbed that should be a batsman's delight. There will be some trepidation in the Sri Lankan camp at the potential for mayhem that rests with England's batting and the fear of a backlash for all their preceding woes, but this tournament hasn't respected pedigree or reputation, so the Lankans will believe that if they get their act together, they could end England's interest in the competition as early as Thursday night.

England's selection calls are reflective of the mindset that comes from unexpected failure. They must extract more from their bowlers and get Moeen Ali back in the mix, quickly, if they aspire to salvage something from the debilitating ruins of their misfiring campaign.