Sri Lanka Tour of Australia, 2022 – Australia vs Sri Lanka – 1st T20I Match Prediction
The first T20I of the five-match series will be played between Australia and Sri Lanka. Many would have predicted an easy win for the home team before the series began, but their preparation has undoubtedly been influenced by recent events, such as Justin Langer’s untimely departure from the coaching role, which sparked a controversy in which former players accused current team members of wielding player power.
Sri Lanka will enter the competition as the underdog, with a squad full of young players eager to make an impression.
As a result, it will be interesting to see how the home team’s players react in the upcoming 20-over series.
Both teams have met 17 times in the history of the 20-over format, with the Kangaroos winning nine times and the Islanders winning eight.
Both teams will play in T20 format for the first time at the SCG.
The game between the two teams will take place on February 11th, 2022 at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney.
Match Details to Note
Match: Australia vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I, Sri Lanka Tour of Australia, 2022
Date: February 11, 2022 (Friday)
Time: 1:40 PM IST
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Australia vs Sri Lanka Team Previews
Australia (Match Odds – 1.12)
The form of the home team against Sri Lanka in T20Is, where they’ve won five consecutive matches, and by a sizable margin, is unquestionably in their favour.
Cricket Australia (CA) has named a strong squad for the series, but it is missing several key players who helped the Kangaroos win their first ICC T20 World Cup title late last year.
To score the majority of the runs and put the opposition under pressure, the home team will rely heavily on captain Aaron Finch, experienced Steve Smith, middle-order batter Travis Head, explosive Glenn Maxwell, wicketkeeper-batters Mathew Wade, Josh Inglis, and all-rounders Moises Henriques, Marcus Stoinis.
The onus will be on pacers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, as well as spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, to dismantle the visitors’ batting unit.
Australia Squad
Aaron Finch (c), Ben McDermott, Josh Inglis, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Moises Henriques
Predicted XI: Aaron Finch (c), Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Jos Inglis, Daniel Sams, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Agar, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
Sri Lanka (Match Odds – 5.90)
Sri Lanka is currently attempting to rebuild a team that appears to have peaked more than a decade ago. This time, however, they have some very promising young players who will be around for a long time. We’re talking about batsmen like Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, and Wanindu Hasaranga, a leg-spinner.
Despite having such players on its roster, the odds are stacked against Sri Lanka. Its batsmen have traditionally struggled on Australia’s bouncy wickets and against the fast bowlers that Australia always seems to have in abundance.
Their own bowling attack is also lacking. In this series, Dushmanth Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga are the two bowlers who can make an impact against Australia. Overall, we don’t believe Sri Lanka will be able to bowl its way to victory.
Sri Lanka Squad
Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Kumara, Praveen Jayawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara, Shiran Fernando, Nuwan Thushara
Predicted XI: Dasun Shanaka (c), Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Danuska Gunathilaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Ramesh Mendis
Australia vs Sri Lanka Toss Prediction
Both teams will be hoping to win the toss, bowl first, and limit the opposition to less than 170 runs. The average first innings score for a T20I game in Sydney is around 160 runs.
To Win the Toss – Australia – 1.85
To Win the Toss – Sri Lanka – 1.85
Pitch and Weather Conditions
The first T2OI game of the series between Australia and Sri Lanka will be played at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Thunderstorms are expected during the game on Friday, according to the weather forecast. The bowlers will struggle to grip the ball in these conditions, as rain will play a significant role in the outcome.
Australia vs Sri Lanka Match Prediction
Both teams will enter the series hoping to use it as a warm-up for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2022, which will be played in the same conditions in just over eight months.
On paper, there is no comparison between the two teams because the home team is far superior to the visitors.
Australia is the favourite to beat Sri Lanka at the odds of 1.12.
- Sri Lanka was defeated by South Africa earlier this year.
- Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, and Mahesh Theekshana have been consistent performers for Sri Lanka in the T20 format.
- Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins have put in decent performances for Australia in the T20 format.
