fresh from an 89-run campaign-opening win against New Zealand — enters as favourite. | Photo Credit: AP
Since 2022, Sri Lanka and Australia have only faced each other twice. Both in T20 World Cups. Both heavy defeats for the former.
With a 100 per cent win record in the paltry 11 ODIs these two sides have played in total, a rampaging Australia — fresh from an 89-run campaign-opening win against New Zealand — enters as favourite. Sri Lanka, still licking its wounds from a 59-run loss in a rain-hampered game against India, has much work to do as it bids for its first points of the tournament.
An in-form Aussie batting line-up might not bother changing combinations from its opener, but the kind of utility Pakistan and Bangladesh pacers drew from the surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium will have the girls in green and gold rubbing their hands in glee.
fresh from an 89-run campaign-opening win against New Zealand — enters as favourite. | Photo Credit: AP
Since 2022, Sri Lanka and Australia have only faced each other twice. Both in T20 World Cups. Both heavy defeats for the former.
With a 100 per cent win record in the paltry 11 ODIs these two sides have played in total, a rampaging Australia — fresh from an 89-run campaign-opening win against New Zealand — enters as favourite. Sri Lanka, still licking its wounds from a 59-run loss in a rain-hampered game against India, has much work to do as it bids for its first points of the tournament.
An in-form Aussie batting line-up might not bother changing combinations from its opener, but the kind of utility Pakistan and Bangladesh pacers drew from the surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium will have the girls in green and gold rubbing their hands in glee.
If Australia gets to bat first, this surface might be truly tested for how many runs it can actually produce as well.
Sri Lanka has spent a considerable amount of time ahead of the World Cup training at this venue — where it will play five of its seven league games. Familiarity will only take the side that far.
The story of the batting order off late, regardless of the World Cup edition or format, has been headlined by Chamari Athapaththu on whom an unhealthy dependence still exists.
While the experienced players in the bowling arsenal like Inoka Ranaweera and Udeshika Prabodhani have walked the talk but the youngsters — particularly the likes of Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshita Samarawickrama — have some naysayers to shut down and will hope to do that against gold standard opponents like the Aussies.
The Premadasa which — albeit colourful with World Cup paraphernalia — was disappointingly empty for the opener, should hope to draw a better turn out, with entry free for all games, for a big home fixture and a politically charged India vs Pakistan clash to follow on Sunday.
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