Australia vs Sri Lanka, Match 14
ICC World Cup 2023, 16th October 2023, 2 PM IST, Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad
Cricket fans around the world are gearing up for an exciting clash as Australia and Sri Lanka face off at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, October 16.
This 14th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 promises to be a thrilling encounter as both teams aim to recover from challenging starts in the tournament, failing to pick up points.
Australia vs Sri Lanka head to head
Australia, a cricketing powerhouse, has encountered a rocky beginning in this campaign, suffering crushing defeats at the hands of India and South Africa.
The Australian batting unit, brimming with stars like Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Marsh, has failed to shine, struggling to cross even the 200-run mark. The pressure is mounting on these big names to deliver and resurrect Australia's World Cup campaign.
On the other side of the pitch, Sri Lanka's journey hasn't been much smoother. While they managed to post 300+ totals in both of their previous matches, their bowlers have let them down significantly.
Conceding a colossal 428/5 against South Africa was a bitter pill to swallow, and they later allowed Pakistan to chase down 345 with ease, failing to take regular wickets. The Lankans find themselves in a position where their batting shows promise, but their bowling unit needs to step up to secure crucial victories.
A 150 off just 84 deliveries 😍
— ICC (@ICC) October 3, 2023
Kusal Mendis looks in scintillating form ahead of the #CWC23 🔥#AFGvSL 📝: https://t.co/LIcVNRI3su pic.twitter.com/2Q6dcnMQ8V
As history tells us, in the overall head-to-head record of ODIs, Australia has been the dominant force against Sri Lanka. With 63 victories in 102 matches, they have a clear upper hand. Sri Lanka, however, has managed to claim victory 35 times in this long-standing rivalry.
Both teams are well aware that improvements are crucial at this juncture. Australia must find solutions to their batting woes, and the onus is on their star-studded lineup to perform at their best. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka needs to shore up their bowling attack to complement their strong batting.
Currently, the teams are positioned in the lower half of the World Cup standings, with Sri Lanka sitting in seventh place and Australia in the ninth position. Sri Lanka's slightly better position is due to a superior net run rate, which may be a deciding factor in their favour.
Team form, last 5 matches for Australia: L L W L L
Team form, last 5 matches for Sri Lanka: L L L W L
Contents
Australia vs Sri Lanka match preview
Australia
The Australian Cricket team faced resounding defeats at the hands of India and South Africa, leaving them searching for answers. Despite boasting star-studded names like Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Marsh in their batting lineup, the Australians have struggled to make an impact, failing to cross the 200-run mark in both encounters, losing wickets in clumps.
The weight of expectations is mounting on these renowned cricketers as they strive to reignite Australia's World Cup journey.
On the brighter side, the bowling unit has shown promise in both matches, but their efforts have been undermined by the batting's underperformance.
Australia's strong historical record, with 63 wins out of 102 ODI games in head-to-head clashes against Sri Lanka, serves as a testament to their cricketing prowess. Now, it's up to their batting lineup to rise to the occasion and reverse their fortunes in the tournament.
Probable best performers
Probable best batter: David Warner
Probable best bowler: Mitchell Starc
Probable Playing XI
David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka have shown very good batting prowess in both games so far. They have shown an aggressive intent and have also crossed the 300-run mark in both games. It shows that their batters are in prime form.
However, it doesn't paint a good picture when they have lost matches even after scoring 300+. Their bowling is responsible for their defeat in both matches and that's why they need to step up against Australia to support their batters. The pacers are starting well with the new ball but they haven't been disciplined enough in the middle and death overs. That's an area they need to look at heading into this game.
Probable best performers
Probable best batter: Kusal Mendis
Probable best bowler: Mahesh Theekshana
Probable playing XI
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka
Pitch report and expected weather conditions for Australia vs Sri Lanka
The pitch at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow is not traditionally a high-scoring venue, with an average ODI score of 232 in recent matches. It offers some assistance to spinners and may have a two-paced nature, making batting tricky early on.
Teams would be wise to consider opening the bowling with spinners and fielding at least two specialist spinners. The conditions could favor spin, and Australia might utilize Glenn Maxwell's spin early in the innings.
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium ODI Records
Total Matches: 5
Matches won batting first: 3
Matches won bowling first: 2
Average 1st Innings score: 208
Expected weather conditions: Temperature is expected to be around 33 degree Celsius and weather is going to be partly cloudy. Humidity of 52% will still be there, making it difficult for the side fielding first.
Australia vs Sri Lanka Dream11 prediction
Take a look at our Australia vs Sri Lanka Dream11 prediction:
Wicket-keeper: Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama
Batters: Steve Smith, David Warner, Charith Asalanka
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Dunith Wellalage
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka
Mendis and Samarawickrama are absolute must-haves in this encounter as they are in superb form. Mendis had scores of 76 and 122 in the first two games, whereas Samarawickrama also scored a ton in the last match, so they can score decent runs.
In the batters' section, we have gone with Australian batters Smith and Warner and Sri Lankan batter Asalanka. Smith and Warner are very experienced batters, and we tip them to score runs.
Although they haven't had the best times in this campaign so far, they can be expected to bounce back in this game. Asalanka has already played a good knock of 79 runs in this campaign and he can be expected to do well again.
In the all-rounders slot, we have picked Maxwell and Wellalage. Maxwell bowled well in the last game and also picked up a wicket. Wellalage has already shown his talent in different matches and he can be expected to do so once again.
While picking the bowlers, we have gone with two Australia and two Sri Lanka bowlers. Hazlewood and Starc have done well with the ball. They have picked up wickets in both matches. Madushanka has also done well in both games, picking up a couple of wickets each time. Theekshana, on the other hand, will have a big role to play in this game considering the helpful nature of the pitch for spinners.
Australia vs Sri Lanka Dream11 prediction: Australia to win
Australia have started with losses in both encounters so far and this is the match where they can be expected to bounce back. Their batters could come to the party against a weak Sri Lanka bowling unit. That's why they have the edge in this contest and we tip them to win.
