In the crucial encounter between Sri Lanka and Australia, Sri Lanka’s skipper, Kusal Mendis, won the toss and elected to bat first. Mendis expressed his confidence in their decision, explaining that the wicket is expected to favor the batsmen in the first half and later offer assistance to the spinners. He mentioned that his team had observed the previous match between Australia and South Africa at the same venue and believed that batting would be more comfortable initially. Mendis highlighted that they have a couple of spinners who could come into play during the second half of the game. He also discussed changes in the lineup, with Chamika Karunaratne and Lahiru Kumara coming in for Dasun Shanaka and Matheesha Pathirana, respectively. Mendis expressed his regret that Dasun Shanaka had to miss such an important match and emphasized that a par score on this pitch would be around 290-300. He hoped that his batters could deliver a substantial total.
Pathirana’s poor form in World Cup 2023
Matheesha Pathirana, the young Sri Lankan fast bowler, has unfortunately garnered an unwanted record in the ODI World Cup 2023. Nicknamed ‘Baby Malinga’ for his action resembling that of Lasith Malinga, Pathirana has bowled a staggering 71 wides since his debut in June. This unfortunate feat came to the forefront after he bowled 18 wides in the match against Pakistan. In that game, Pathirana’s wides accounted for a significant portion of Sri Lanka’s extras, contributing to their opponents’ record ODI World Cup chase. With two matches played, he has conceded 185 runs in 19 overs, resulting in a concerning average of 92.50, a strike rate of 57, and a high economy rate of 9.73. Pathirana’s struggles have been a point of concern for Sri Lanka in the tournament.
On the other hand, Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, acknowledged that they would have also chosen to bat first, but he didn’t see the toss result as a significant factor. Cummins mentioned that his team had productive training sessions and highlighted the importance of staying fresh for each game. He confirmed that Australia would field the same playing eleven, indicating their confidence in the current squad.
Playing XI
Australia – David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (C), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Sri Lanka – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (C/WK), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne (In for Dasun Shanaka), Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara (In for Matheesha Pathirana), Dilshan Madushanka.
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