ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
Seeking Their First Win: Australia vs Sri Lanka at the World Cup
Today is a critical match for both, defending champions, Australia, and Sri Lanka, who are determined to turn their fortunes around and looking for their first win in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
It had been a rough start for both teams, suffering two consecutive losses, and now, they’re hungry for a win at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, October 16, 2023.
Both Australia and Sri Lanka are at risk of falling behind in the tournament
The team that loses this match will be at major risk of not making it to the semi-finals, just like what happened to Pakistan in the 2019 edition due to their low run rate.
Australia, which has won the World Cup five times, is facing many challenges. Many of their batters haven’t performed well in their first two matches, and there are questions about their decision to go with three fast bowlers. Despite of having some good moments from bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Captain Pat Cummins, they’ve had a tough time against India and South Africa.
Sri Lanka on the other hand also has problems. Their captain, Dasun Shanaka, is out due to injury after a quad injury in the match against Pakistan. This is a big setback for Sri Lanka. They have added Chamika Karunaratne to the squad, and Vice-captain Kusal Mendis is expected to lead the team against Australia.”
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. Here are the squads and match officials for the game:
Match Info:
- Match: AUS vs SL, 14th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
- Date: Monday, October 16, 2023
- Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat
- Time: 2:00 PM
- Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
The weather forecast: India vs Sri Lanka
The weather is likely to be cloudy, and the temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius. With no rain expected, which is great for the game. the match can go on without any interruptions due to the weather, and the players don’t need to be concerned about that.
Pitch Report: The pitch report tells us that The pitch itself seems a bit damp, probably because of some mats placed on it to keep it from getting too dry too soon. The soil on this pitch is red. Also, there’s some grass on it, which can affect how the ball moves. All these put together mean that the pitch could help both the batters and the bowlers, making it an interesting place for the game.
Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat
Pat Cummins: We probably would have batted as well but don’t think it is too big a difference. The last 2 days we had training sessions and everyone is very clear on quite a few areas we need to sharpen up. We are playing the same team.
Kusal Mendis: We will bat first, the wicket is looking good and it might turn a bit in the second half. We have 2 changes. Dasun and Matheesha are not playing and Chamika and Lahiru Kumara are added to the team. Unfortunately, Dasun is not playing, today is a really important match., hopefully, we can manage that.
Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to bat
Australia Squad:
Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Bench: Sean Abbott, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Cameron Green
Support Staff: Andrew McDonald, Andre Borovec, Daniel Vettori, Michael Di Venuto, Andy Flower
Sri Lanka Squad:
Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka
Bench: Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dimuth Karunaratne
Support Staff: Chris Silverwood, Naveed Nawaz, Piyal Wijetunge, Dharshana Gamage, Anton Roux, Mahela Jayawardene
