Australia, the hosts and defending champions, will be looking to rebound after a humiliating defeat to New Zealand in their tournament opener, while Sri Lanka will be looking to keep their winning streak going.
Australia, whose title defense began with an embarrassing defeat in their Super 12 opener, will have a chance to redeem themselves when they face Sri Lanka at Optus Stadium in Perth on Tuesday, October 25.
The hosts of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 were defeated by last year’s beaten finalist New Zealand in their Group 1 opener.
The Australian bowling attack looked toothless against the rampant Kiwis, who posted a challenging total of 200/3 thanks to Devon Conway’s unbeaten 92 off 58 balls.
The Australian batting order followed suit, with Glenn Maxwell (28) finishing as the highest scorer as the Kiwi bowlers bundled them out for 111 runs in 17.1 overs, sealing an 89-run defeat.
Australia is now in a precarious position at the bottom of a difficult group, with a negative Net Run-Rate of -4.450. The defending champions will be aware that any further blunders will cost them a place in the knockout stages.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are on a roll. The newly crowned Asian champions bounced back from a loss to Namibia in their first round T20 World Cup match to finish top of their qualifying group with back-to-back victories.
Following that, the Lions cruised to a 9-wicket victory over Ireland in their Super 12 debut. The spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana (2/19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2/25) proved too strong for Ireland, limiting their opponents to a paltry total of 128/8.
Kusal Mendis then remained unbeaten on 68 off 43 balls as Sri Lanka chased down the total with 30 balls to spare. Sri Lanka is now second in their group, with a healthy Net Run-Rate of +2.467.
Dasun Shanaka’s men’s victory over the reigning world champions will not only help them gain a stronger foothold in the group, but it will also serve as a marker of the team’s recent progress.
Guide to Forms (last five matches, most recent first)
- Australia: L-NR-L-L-W
- Sri Lanka: W-W-W-L-W
Sri Lanka vs. Australia (Head to Head in T20Is)
- 25 matches have been played.
- Australia won with 14 points.
- Sri Lanka won 10 points.
Tied: 1
Pitch: The Optus Stadium in Perth is known for its batting-friendly surface, so we can expect a high-scoring game. The favorable bounce will encourage batters to take their shots. The average score when batting first in T20 cricket at this stadium is 142, with England scoring 208/6 against Australia in October of this year.
Sri Lanka vs. Australia Weather Prediction: According to weather.com, Perth will have a warm day with partly cloudy skies tomorrow. With no rain in the forecast, we could play an uninterrupted game of cricket.
Possible XIs for Australia vs. Sri Lanka:
David Warner, Aaron Finch (C), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (WK), Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Adam Zampa are the likely starters for Australia.
Ashen Bandara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (C), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, and Lahiru Kumara are likely starters for Sri Lanka.
Top Fantasy Picks for Australia vs. Sri Lanka:
- Kusal Mendis is the wicketkeeper.
- David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa bat.
- Marcus Stoinis, Dasun Shanaka, Glenn Maxwell, and Wanindu Hasaranga are all all-rounders.
- Josh Hazlewood, Maheesh Theekshana, and Mitchell Starc are the bowlers.
Odds on Betting (OKBET)
- 1.22 Australia
- 4.1 for Sri Lanka
Where to watch: The game starts at 4:30 p.m. IST. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network in India. The Disney+Hotstar app allows online viewers to follow the live action.
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