Match Details
- Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane
- Date: 30th October 2019
- Time: 1:40 PM IST
- League: Sri Lanka tour of Australia 2019
Australia Preview
Australia had the ideal batting performance in the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka at Adelaide. While the openers Aaron Finch and David Warner built a partnership of 122 runs in 65 balls, Maxwell’s performance at number 3 was almost perfect. Warner and Maxwell together added 107 runs for the 2nd wicket in 52 balls. In addition, Warner stayed unbeaten scoring 100 off 56 balls while Maxwell and Finch scored 62 and 64 runs respectively. Any team batting first in a T20I match couldn’t ask for a better batting display than this.
While 233 runs was a great total to defend, Australian bowlers proved their mettle showing just how dangerous they could be restricting the visitors to 99 runs. While Adam Zampa was the top pick among the bowlers with 3 for 14 in 4 overs, Mitchell Starc finished with figures of 2 for 18. In addition, Ashton Agar was the second bowler with an economy of below 4 as he finished with 1 for 13. Aussies completely dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order picking up 9 wickets for 99 runs in 20 overs. Australia has sent the message loud and clear. It will not be an easy task for the visitors to defeat the hosts. Far from it, Sri Lanka will have to fight tooth and nail to save the day.
Sri Lanka Preview
While the Sri Lankan team came off a winning streak in Pakistan in the T20I series, their bowling and batting were attacked left, right and center here in Australia. Australian batsmen took the Sri Lankan bowling attack to the cleaners hitting 25 fours and 10 sixes in the innings. While Malinga was wicket-less, Kasun Rajitha conceded 75 runs in 4 overs without a wicket. In addition, Wanidu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan conceded over 40 runs each in their spells.
Nuwan Pradeep was the only bowler with an economy of below 10 r.p.o for Sri Lanka. While Pradeep was wicketless in his 4 overs, he conceded 28 runs, the least of all. In addition to the bowling woes, Sri Lanka also needs to step up their game in the batting department. Kusal Mendis and D Gunathilaka at the top are crucial to the batting line-up. Excluding Avishka Fernando might not be a great idea for the visitors. Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka in the middle have the potential to steady the innings after early losses and build a good partnership.
Fantasy Team Tips
- Kusal Perera bats at number 3 for Sri Lanka while Alex Carey is less likely to walk in to bat given the number of big hitters at the top. While Perera wasn’t in his best shape in the last match, he remains a crucial feature in the Sri Lankan batting line-up.
- David Warner and Aaron Finch might have given more than one reason to be the top choice in the fantasy team with their recent performances.
- While none of the Sri Lankan batsmen delivered a performance worth a praise, Oshada Fernando would be playing a key role in the middle if the top-order continues to fail.
- Glen Maxwell would again be promoted to number 3 if such a time comes where the openers put on a big partnership and Australia needs someone to keep up with the momentum.
- Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc are likely to be among the top bowlers for Australia while Lasith Malinga would be keen on making a comeback in the 2nd T20I.
Fantasy Team Prediction
- Wicket-Keeper – K Perera
- Batsmen – David Warner, Aaron Finch, Ashton Turner, Kusal Mendis, Oshada Fernando
- All-rounders – Glen Maxwell, Dasun Shanaka
- Bowlers – M Starc, A Zampa, L Malinga
- Captain – David Warner
- Vice-Captain – Glen Maxwell