ODI World Cup 2023: Australia, Sri Lanka look to revive campaigns after successive losses

A basement battle of kinds, between Sri Lanka and Australia, seventh and ninth on the World Cup 2023 factors desk, respectively, is one thing few would have conceived forward of the event.

And but right here they’re; a pre-tournament favorite and a facet that tends to punch above its weight, determined to open their account on the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium right here on Monday.

Both sides are coming off two successive defeats, one towards South Africa every, and discover themselves on the improper facet of historical past.

While Sri Lanka conceded the best whole towards the Proteas in its opener, it noticed Pakistan pull off the best profitable run-chase within the event’s historical past within the following sport. Australia, in the meantime, confronted its heaviest World Cup defeat towards South Africa in its earlier match right here and has began a World Cup marketing campaign with two losses for the primary time since 1992.

In a blow for Sri Lanka, captain Dasun Shanaka, who was starting to seek out kind with the bat after a woeful string of scores, is dominated out from the event indefinitely on account of a proper thigh muscle damage and Chamika Karunaratne is more likely to be slotted in as a like-for-like substitute. Kusal Mendis, in red-hot kind, takes over the reins from Shanaka.

Though united in misery, Australia and Sri Lanka are on totally different ends of the spectrum. The Australians have witnessed their middle-order collapse like a pack of playing cards towards high quality seam and spin bowling, and are but to breach the 200-run mark, whereas the Lankan bowlers are smarting a battering of over 770 runs in just below 100 overs throughout two video games.

Sri Lanka’s skipper Kusal Mendis throughout apply session on the eve of the staff’s match towards Australia.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA/The Hindu

Their horizons converge within the middle-overs with the ball, a part the place they’ve lacked penetration up to now within the event and allowed oppositions to wrest the initiative after conceding lower than 5 runs an over within the first PowerPlay.

With situations more likely to help swing and seam motion whereas the ball is new, lots will hinge on how the primary 10 overs pan out.

Sri Lanka had dropped pacer Kasun Rajitha to make manner for spin ace Maheesh Theekshana however could wish to accomodate the previous on a seamer-friendly monitor. While Rajitha might exchange Matheesha Pathirana, who has gone at greater than 9 runs an over in each video games, Sri Lanka might additionally look to bolster its tempo unit by bringing in Rajitha for Dunith Wellalage, whose left-arm spin has lacked chew.

Pat Cummins stated on match eve that one of many few positives the staff took from its drubbing towards South Africa was its bowling on the demise, throughout which its bowlers put the skids on the scoring by selecting 4 wickets and conceding beneath eight runs an over. With the ball holding onto the pitch at the backend, the Australian pacers employed the cutters to good impact on a floor with giant sq. boundaries. Interestingly, its demise bowling in that sport marked a major enchancment for Australia in an space it has been essentially the most profligate in amongst all groups this 12 months.

Sri Lanka, with a considerably much less pedigreed tempo assault, was shellacked for 137 runs towards South Africa within the final 10 overs and Australia’s center and lower-order firepower, which is but to point out up within the event, will look revenue from this chink.

But earlier than that, the Australian high and middle-order could have its job lower out. The line-up lacks stability on the high within the absence of Travis Head and a top-seven full of six right-handers is brief on selection. Josh Inglis’ choice towards South Africa at the price of left-hander Alex Carey additional exacerbated that monotony.

Sri Lanka, however, has a considered mixture of proper and left-handers. Mendis and the calm head of Sadeera Samarawickrama kind a synergy between the highest and middle-order, as was seen towards Pakistan. However, Australian pacers will fancy themselves towards opener Kusal Perera, who’s but to strike kind after two years within the wilderness in ODIs.

In the spin duo of Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa, the Aussies even have the personnel to counter Sri Lanka’s selection. That part-timer Maxwell has outshone Zampa with the ball factors to a separate concern that Australia should cope with.

Its pantheon of all-rounders has did not contribute with the bat and, barring Maxwell, hasn’t been trusted a lot with the ball. While Cummins backed his all-rounders on Sunday and picked their batting as their major talent, the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Maxwell and Cameron Green are but to repay the religion.

Australia went on an all-format tour of Sri Lanka final 12 months at a time when the island nation was reeling from a debilitating financial disaster. While the gesture led to loads of goodwill between the 2 sides, the resultant bonhomie will take a backseat on Monday as they appear to salvage their campaigns.