Sri Lanka faces an uphill battle in opposition to mighty Australia

Since 2022, Sri Lanka and Australia have solely confronted one another twice, each in T20 World Cups and ensuing in heavy defeats. The pandemic and no fixtures within the Championship cycle imply the co-host of the Women’s ODI World Cup has no latest match references to attract from because it takes on the defending champion in a league fixture on dwelling soil right here on Saturday.

With a 100 per cent win file within the 11 ODIs these two sides have performed in whole, a rampaging Australia, recent from an 89-run campaign-opening win in opposition to New Zealand, enters as favorite. Sri Lanka, nonetheless licking the injuries from a 59-run loss to India in a rain-hampered recreation, has a lot work to do because it bids for its first factors of the match.

An in-form Aussie batting line-up won’t trouble altering the mixture from its opener, however the form of assist Pakistan and Bangladesh pacers drew from the floor on the R. Premadasa Stadium may have the ladies in inexperienced and gold rubbing their palms in glee. If Australia will get to bat first, this floor is perhaps actually examined for what number of runs it might probably really produce as properly.

Sri Lanka has spent a substantial period of time forward of the World Cup coaching at this venue – the place it should play 5 of its seven league video games. Familiarity will solely take the aspect that far. The story of the batting order of late, whatever the World Cup version or format, has been headlined by Chamari Athapaththu on whom an unhealthy dependence nonetheless exists. While the skilled gamers within the bowling arsenal like Inoka Ranaweera and Udeshika Prabodhani have walked the discuss, the children – notably the likes of Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshita Samarawickrama – have some naysayers to close down and can hope to try this in opposition to gold normal opposition just like the Aussies.