Australia is on a long tour to Sri Lanka where the teams are set to play 3 match T20I, 5 match ODI, and 2 Tests. Australia has already won the T20I series by 2-1. The ODI series starts on Tuesday and there is a lot to look forward to. In this article, we have talked about SL vs AUS teams.
Australia is 3rd on the ODI ranking list while Sri Lanka stands at number 8. After the 2018 row, Australia has been trying to bounce back on its feet and have a permanent few players which they missed before 2020.
The team gained its confidence after T20 World Cup and the amazing Ashes victory. At a time called legendary, Australia lost its charm but has started showing hints of a confident team in recent times. They will try to build on the same and this ODI series victory will mean a lot to them.
Australia has their best team available for the tour and it will be the best chance for them to analyze each player individually. They have a good set of opening pair in David Warner and Aaron Finch. Steve Smith, Labuchagne, Carey, Stoinis, ending with Maxwell make up a very solid top-middle order that has the potential to beat any bowling lineup.
With Cummins, Hazlewood in form, and Richardson making a comeback, the team has a good time till the next world up to build cohesiveness in the team and tour the continent to get used to the conditions and work on their mistakes.
Sri Lanka on the other hand is going through a rough patch. It won’t be unfair to say that since most of their senior players retired from international cricket, the team seems to have lost its charm and is not looking its best. They have younger players who did not have seniors to play under and a new team had to be built without any experience.
Be it Sangakara, Jaywardhane, or Jayasurya, none of the players have contributed to mentoring the home team. Sri Lanka has a great head coach but it probably will help them better if they have a coach from the country who understands local boys and build the team according to its culture.
The players who looked inexperienced in IPL are the seniors in the Sri Lanka team and it says a lot about how much they need to grow. They should go with a one-game-at-a-time approach and learn from their mistakes. Australia may look like favorites in the series but SL’s intent in the last T20I showed that they are all the more capable of turning the tables.
As of now, it is likely Australia will win the series and Sri Lanka will give them a tough competition.
