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Contrary to what many expected, the series between Sri Lanka and Australia is turning out to be a riveting affair. After the first couple of matches of the tour, Sri Lanka has picked themselves up and given the visitors a run for their money. They have improved as the series has progressed and will want to take the lead in the ODI series when the two sides meet up next.
The two sides are set to meet on 19th June up next in this series in a match that will be played at the RPS Stadium, Colombo. The series is evenly balanced at the moment with each team having one win to its name. Both sides would want to grab the early advantage with a win here and a cracker of a contest is certainly on the cards.
SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA TEAM PREVIEWS
SRI LANKA
Just when the fate of the ODI series seemed to be going the way it was in the T20I series, Sri Lanka clawed their way back to produce a stirring victory in the second ODI of the series. The win came after they failed to score a substantial total with the bat in the first innings and would have imbibed a lot of confidence among the team.
What was most remarkable about Sri Lanka’s win was that they managed to keep Australia at bay without their lead spinner – Wanindu Hasaranga playing. It was the combination of Dunith Wellalage, Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, and Dushmantha Chameera that ensured Sri Lanka posed enough roadblocks in front of a potent Aussie batting unit.
Just a couple of days before that win, Sri Lanka had failed to defend a 300+ total and that win did come as a surprise for many. Defending a small total, Sri Lanka had to keep things tight and they did it to perfection. Their spinners bowled incredibly well in the middle-overs as Australia lost 5 wickets for 19 before getting bowled out for a total of 189. Having said that, there was plenty of assistance for the spinners on that surface and it would be interesting to see how things pan out if there is little or no support from the conditions in this upcoming contest.
AUSTRALIA
Australia was left high and dry in the second match of the series and they would certainly be disappointed. They were in business for most of the game and could have gone on to win the match had they played sensibly in the last ten overs. Almost all of their batsmen were dismissed while playing glory shots, which was certainly uncalled for in that situation of the match.
With that loss, Australia has certainly conceded the momentum back to the hosts, and getting back to winning ways is not going to be easy. To add to their woes, we might well see Steven Smith sitting out in this upcoming match and it would be a massive blow for the visitors given how capable he is in handling spin. We do expect Smith to sit out, keeping that Tests are around the corner and neither management nor Smith would want to risk aggravating an injury before the important series.
With three important players missing, Australia is no longer as strong as they were before the series started. The onus will be on the likes of David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Glenn Maxwell to take their side to a good total, especially with not much experience available. Although their bowlers did well in the second match, they do lack experience in that department.
All in all, Australia is a bit over-reliant on a few match-winners and that could be a dangerous ploy if things do not go according to the plan. They would need David Warner and Glenn Maxwell to play to their peak potential and if that doesn’t happen, Australia will do well to even stay relevant, let alone win the match.
SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA MATCH DETAILS:
Match: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 3rd ODI, Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 2022
Date and Time: June 19, 2022, Sunday, 02:30 PM IST
Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA PITCH REPORT
The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium has mostly been good for batting. But the ball tends to move around a little bit under the lights. Hence, striking with the new ball will hold importance. Winning the toss and batting second should be the way forward.
SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA WEATHER FORECAST
The playing conditions will be hot and humid with temperatures around the 27-degree Celsius mark. There is a fair chance of rain around 6 pm and 7 pm. The humidity will be in the high 80s.
SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA IS PROBABLE XIS
SRI LANKA
PROBABLE XI
Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage
AUSTRALIA
David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood
PROBABLE TOP PERFORMERS
PROBABLE THE BEST BATTER OF THE MATCH
DAVID WARNER
David Warner has been in terrific touch of late and he will fancy making a big score in the upcoming fixture. The left-hander got a good start in the previous game, scoring 37 runs. However, he could not make go on to score a half-century. He has been key to the success of Australia at the top of the order.
PROBABLE THE BEST BOWLER OF THE MATCH
PAT CUMMINS
Pat Cummins showed why he is one of the best in the business as he ran through the Sri Lanka middle-order in the previous game. The right-arm seamer finished with figures of 4 for 35 in his 8.4 overs and helped his side to restrict the opponents to a paltry score. He will be looking to lead the seam attack for his side again in the upcoming fixture.
WINNING PREDICTION
Sri Lankans come here with a win, but the side would have to show consistency. This has been one of the biggest problem areas as they haven’t been able to deliver consistent performances. Their batsmen will need to show character for the side to win on this surface. Australians have a powerful batting line-up and look good in the spin department. This would make them favorites to win this game.
Australia to win.
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