ICC Men’s CWC 2023: Who will open their account in the points table today? Australia or Sri Lanka
The 14th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be played between Australia and Sri Lanka on October 16 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Head-to-Head
Australia and Sri Lanka have played 102 ODIs against each other between 1975 and 2022, of which Australia have won 63, Sri Lanka have won 35, and four matches producing no result. In India, they have played just the one ODI against each other, with Australia winning that match. At the Worlds Cups, Australia have dominated Sri Lanka winning eight and losing just the one ODI against them.
| Particulars | Australia | Sri Lanka |
| ICC ODI Rankings | 4 | 7 |
| Performance in ODIs overall | 63 | 35 |
| ODI wins in India | 1 | 0 |
| At World Cups | 8 | 1 |
Performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far…
Australia and Sri Lanka will play their third match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Both teams have had a bad start to their World Cup campaigns as they have lost their first two matches. While Australia lost to India by six wickets in Chennai and South Africa by 134 runs in Lucknow, Sri Lanka suffered defeats at the hands of South Africa by 102 runs in Delhi and Pakistan by six wickets in Hyderabad.
Australia v Sri Lanka: Squads, injury updates, playing conditions, weather, and players to watch out for
Squads
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (vc), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha
Injury updates
Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka has been ruled out of the World Cup as he sustained a right thigh muscle injury during the match against Pakistan on Tuesday. Chamika Karunaratne comes in as his replacement. Vice-captain Kusal Mendis will lead the side going forward in this World Cup. For Australia, Travis Head, who has not travelled to India for the World Cup is still recovering from a fractured hand.
Playing conditions
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow will host the encounter between Australia and Sri Lanka. It will be a day night match. Australia have played one ODI here during the 2023 World Cup, when they lost to South Africa by 134 runs. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will play their first ODI here. The venue will host its second game of this tournament. Expect good batting conditions with spinners getting some assistance.
Weather
The weather is expected to be hazy. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 32 degrees Celsius. The cloud cover will be 72% and there could be 25% chance of rain with 6% chance of thunderstorms. The wind will blow from the east.
Players to watch out for
For Australia, nothing has gone their way so far in this World Cup. They have been disappointing with bat, ball, and also on the field. The pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood which could be threatening has not delivered up to the expectations. Hazelwood has been the lone warrior with four wickets in his last two matches. Similarly, the batting has not been up to the mark. David Warner and Steve Smith will have to take up the bulk of the batting responsibility. Warner and Smith have made a steady start to their World Cup campaign but have not yet got a big score under their belt.
For Sri Lanka, Kusal Mendis will have an important role to play with the bat. He is the highest run scorer for his team in the World Cup so far with 198 runs in two matches at an average of 99 and strike rate of 166. Sri Lankan batting could revolve around Mendis. Among the bowlers, Dilshan Madhushanka, the left-arm medium pace bowler, will be the key. He has picked four wickets in his last two matches. He will be expected to bowl well with the new ball and provide early breakthroughs to his team.
Match details
Date: October 16, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM IST
Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Live streaming: Star Sports, Hotstar
All the statistics are sourced from ESPN Cricinfo