The second One-Day International (ODI) between Sri Lanka and Australia will be played in Kandy on Thursday afternoon and evening. Australia won the series opener by two wickets (DLS), chasing down their revised target of 282 with nine balls remaining. Continue reading for a preview of this game. The second of five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) begins at 14:30 local time on Thursday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
In two of their last three One-Day Internationals, Sri Lanka has been defeated by Zimbabwe by 22 runs and Australia by 2 runs. However, there were plenty of positives to take away from Tuesday’s performance with bat and ball.
Australia had to fight for their victory in the first ODI of the series, but they showed plenty of character on the field and in pursuit of their goal. They will be aware that they are up against a difficult opponent in this series.
Sri Lanka Team News:
Dunith Wellalage, a 19-year-old slow left-arm orthodox bowler, made his international debut in Tuesday’s series opener, taking the wickets of Steve Smith and Ashton Agar. Sri Lanka put in an encouraging performance, and we expect the same starting lineup for this match.
Sri Lanka Squad
Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Niroshan Dickwella, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan
Players to watch out for:
Kusal Mendis
On Tuesday, the 27-year-old top-order batter led Sri Lanka in scoring. His inning featured eight fours and one six.
Pathum Nissanka
In the first game of the series, the opener scored his third ODI half-century. Since making his international debut in March 2021, he has gone over 50 in 14 innings.
Wanindu Hasaranga
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s number one bowler was in superb form. Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, and Pat Cummins were all dropped.
Possible Playing XI:
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Ramesh Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Maheesh Theekshana
Sri Lanka Team Form
Sri Lanka has lost two of their last three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), but they did put themselves in a strong position on Tuesday thanks to some excellent top-order batting.
Australia Team News:
Mitchell Starc, as expected, missed the first game of the series, but there was good news in his recovery from a finger injury, and he could play in the third ODI. There will be debate over whether to include a second front-line spinner, with Jhye Richardson’s position being the most vulnerable.
Australia Squad
Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
Players to watch out for:
Steve Smith
The former captain was at the crease early in Australia’s reply on Tuesday, but he played a typically controlled innings that included five fours.
Glenn Maxwell
The batting all-rounder went 0-60 with the ball but came back with the bat to help his team win. From 51 balls, he hit 80 not out.
Josh Hazlewood
In the first ODI, the right-arm fast medium bowler was the most impressive of Australia’s pace bowlers. With the final ball of Sri Lanka’s innings, he dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga.
Possible Playing XI:
David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson
Australia Team Form
On Tuesday, Australia snapped a two-game ODI losing streak. They will now try to translate their strong IT20 form into this format.
Sri Lanka vs Australia
Sri Lanka vs Australia Top Team Batsmen:
With the bat, we support Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, and Danushka Gunathilaka for Sri Lanka. Gunathilaka scored his 11th ODI half-century in the series opener.
Our batting recommendations for Australia are Steve Smith, David Warner, and Aaron Finch. In his 41-ball 44, Captain Finch hit five fours and one six.
Sri Lanka vs Australia Top Team Bowlers:
Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Dushmantha Chameera are our bowling picks for Sri Lanka. On Tuesday, Theekshana trapped David Warner lbw with his first ball of the match.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Ashton Agar are our bowling selections for Australia. In the first ODI, Agar took the wickets of Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva with his spin bowling.
Sri Lanka vs Australia Head to Head
Sri Lanka has not won two ODIs in a row against Australia since January 2013. Australia has won each of the last five meetings in this format, dating back to August 2016.
Sri Lanka vs Australia Head to Head Stats in ODI
| Matches Played | SL Won | AUS Won | Draw | Tie | |
| Overall | 98 | 32 | 62 | 0 | 4 |
| Last 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Sri Lanka vs Australia Toss Prediction
After winning the toss on Tuesday, Sri Lanka elected to bat first. If either captain wins the toss ahead of this ODI, we expect them to bat first.
Sri Lanka vs Australia Pitch Report
Spin bowlers had a field day on the Kandy surface in the first game of the series. Spinners took 11 of the 15 wickets, and this pitch will provide plenty of assistance for them again.
The threat of rain will fade as the game progresses, but there is a chance that a thunderstorm will cause the game to be delayed. From start to finish, the temperature should drop from 27 to 23 degrees.
Sri Lanka vs Australia Prediction
We expect both teams to come into this match believing they can win after an excellent game on Tuesday. Wanindu Hasaranga has the ability to make serious inroads into Australia’s deep batting lineup, but we believe the visitors will prevail in this second ODI.
