T20 World Cup | Team Analysis: Australia vs Sri Lanka

Either Australia or Sri Lanka will face their first defeat of ICC T20 World Cup 2021 when the two sides face each other in match 22 of the tournament at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka won all three matches in round 1 beating Namibia, Ireland and Netherlands. The three wins helped the 2014 T20 World Cup champions qualify for the Super 12 stage of the ongoing tournament. In their first match of the ‘Super 12’ stage, Sri Lanka faced their Asian rivals Bangladesh and came out on top by 5 wickets. Australia too started their T20 World Cup campaign in style as they beat South Africa by 5 wickets.

With two teams now set to lock horns, one team is going to experience their first loss of the tournament.

Australia’s strengths:

Australia bowlers are in form. Against South Africa Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Adam Zampa picked 2 wickets each. Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins also picked up one wicket each. No bowler had an economy of more than 8.00 in that match. The bowlers need to come good once more.

Australia’s weaknesses:

Australia’s opening pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner are struggling to score runs. Finch has scored only two fifties in his last 10 T20 innings and was out on a duck in Australia’s match against South Africa. In those 10 innings, there are three other single-digit scores. Warner has scored only 207 runs from his past 10 T20I innings averaging only 20.70. In those 10 innings, Warner has been out on the score of zero twice. With Finch and Warner struggling at the top of the order, Australia tend to slow down in the Powerplay overs.

Sri Lanka’s strengths:

Australian batters will have to face an excellent bowling attack. All the Sri Lankan bowlers are in form and have been amongst wickets. Maheesh Theekshana and Lahiru Kumara have picked 8 wickets each. Wanindu Hasaranga has 6 wickets to his name. Chamika Karunaratne has claimed 4 wickets from 4 games.

Sri Lanka’s weaknesses:

Sri Lanka tend to lose wickets in Powerplay overs. Against Namibia, Ireland, the Netherlands and Bangladesh Sri Lanka have lost 3, 3, 2 and 1 wickets respectively in their first six overs of the innings. Sri Lanka need to rectify this shortcoming of theirs.

Head-to-head

Matches played: 16

Australia wins: 8

Sri Lanka wins: 8

Form Guide:

Australia: W-L-W-L-L

Sri Lanka: W-W-W-W-L

Pitch and conditions

After the match between England and the West Indies, in which the West Indies were bowled out on just 55, the pitch has become easy for batting as it was evident in the matches between India-Pakistan and South Africa-West Indies. Chasing should be easy on this pitch.

The evening will be clear, warm and humid. The temperature is expected to be around 28°C with humidity level around 66%.

Team News

Australia do not have any fitness concern to any of its key players going into this match. Sri Lanka will be hopeful that off-spinner Maheesh Teekshana is fit after he missed the match against Bangladesh owing to a side strain.

Deccan Herald’s Dream XI

Kusal Perera (wk), Aaron Finch (c), Charith Asalanka, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Dasun Shanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood

Impact player for Australia:

Glenn Maxwell: Glenn Maxwell will hold key for Australia’s success in this match. Maxwell is coming on the back of a superb IPL season. With top-order batters failing to get runs, Maxwell will shoulder the responsibility to get the runs for Australia.

Impact player for Sri Lanka:

Maheesh Theekshana: If Maheesh Theekshana is fit he should be back in the playing XI for Sri Lanka and he will strengthen Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. Teekshana has picked 12 wickets from his last 10 T20 matches. He also concedes few runs. Theekshana’s presence will also help Wanindu Hasaranga.