Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey

SL vs AUS 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report | SL vs AUS 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Sri Lanka vs Australia 3rd T20I Key Players | Pallekele Pitch Report

“We have to bring our batting and bowling to the same level,” said Wanindu Hasaranga after Australia sealed a nervy but series-defining victory in the second T20I on Wednesday.

And how right he is. Sri Lanka once again showcased their bowling potential, led by the excellent Hasaranga who took 4/33. However, there simply aren’t enough runs to play with at the moment. The move to Pallekele may help as the surface in Kandy is often a beauty to bat on, so Dasun Shanaka’s team need to get going with the bat. If they do, they are every chance of picking up a confidence-boosting victory as they have won just two of their past 14 T20Is.

That being said, Australia will also be looking for some improvement as the middle order crumbled against spin after Aaron Finch and David Warner got the job done in the first T20I. While various players will be after some improvement, attention is still focused on Steve Smith, who has received further backing from management regarding his role in the T20I team. If he can make a contribution here along with another solid bowling effort by the attack, it will represent another strong outing for the current T20 world champions.

SL vs AUS 3rd T20 Possible Playing 11

Uncapped batsman Nuwanidu Fernando is an option for Sri Lanka. Also, Chamika Karunaratne did not bowl in the second T20I, so it remains to be seen if the home side replaces him.

Sri Lanka: 1. Pathum Nissanka, 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, 3. Charith Asalanka, 4. Kusal Mendis (wk), 5. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6. Dasun Shanaka (c), 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Chamika Karunaratne/Ramesh Mendis, 9. Dushmantha Chameera, 10. Maheesh Theekshana, 11. Nuwan Thushara

Australia often make changes after a series is sealed, but they might want some continuity here to allow some players to find form.

Australia: 1. Aaron Finch (c), 2. David Warner, 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. Steve Smith, 6. Marcus Stoinis, 7. Matthew Wade (wk), 8. Ashton Agar, 9. Jhye Richardson, 10. Kane Richardson, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Sri Lanka:

• Charith Asalanka is Sri Lanka’s top scorer this series with scores of 39 and 38. Also, he has struck two fifties in five T20s on this ground (128 runs in total, avg. 42.67, SR 128).
• Dasun Shanaka was excellent against India earlier this year (47 off 19 and 74 off 38) that he has not been able to replicate yet in this series. However, he loves batting at Pallekele, where he has the most runs of any player in T20s: 480, avg. 68.57, SR 176.47.
• Kusal Mendis also has good T20 numbers on this ground: 7 inns, 239 runs, avg. 34.14, SR 155.19.
• Wanindu Hasaranga continues to impress. The leg-spinner now has an impressive 11 wickets in just five T20Is against Australia. Also, he has six wickets in as many innings on this ground at an average of 24.17 and economy of 7.02.
• Hasaranga could be key against Finch. He has dismissed the Australia captain four times in just 27 balls in T20s, including the last match.
• Will Maheesh Theekshana take his first wicket of the series? Like Hasaranga, he averages one wicket per innings on this ground (four scalps in four innings, avg. 22.50, econ. 6.43).

Australia:

• David Warner was looking dangerous again (21 off 10 balls) before a run out ended his stay in the second T20I. Warner has struck 603 runs in 15 matches vs Sri Lanka at an average of 60.30 and strike rate of 142.55.
• Aaron Finch crossed the 400-run mark in his career vs Sri Lanka. He looked good again in the second T20I (24 off 13) where he struck four boundaries in quick time. A similar start would benefit both he and Australia.
• Mitchell Marsh missed out in the last game, but he will be banking on the form he has shown in the past 18 months. He has scored 1,443 runs at an average of 39.00 and strike rate of 139 since the start of 2021.
• Glenn Maxwell got out at a crucial time in the second match, so he will be aiming to make amends. He returns to a ground he has had great success at, as he smashed 145* off 66 balls against Sri Lanka in 2016.
• Overall, Maxwell has scored 443 runs in 11 innings vs Sri Lanka at an average of 55.37 and strike rate of 175.09. He also has taken six wickets.
• Josh Hazlewood had a rare wicketless outing last time out, but his threat remains. He has taken 12 wickets in five matches vs Sri Lanka at an average of 10.25 and economy of just 5.12.
• The Richardsons were excellent in the second T20I. Kane Richardson now has 15 wickets in nine matches vs SL, while Jhye Richardson bowled beautifully for his 3/26 on Wednesday.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 24, Sri Lanka 9, Australia 15.
• Australia have won 11 of the past 12 T20Is against Sri Lanka.
• Pathum Nissanka scored the most runs of any player in the AUS-SL T20I series in Australia earlier in 2022 (184). The opener will be key in setting the tone, along with Danushka Gunathilaka who looked good in the first match (26 off 15).
• Matthew Wade was named player of the match in the second T20I for his crucial 26* to get Australia home.

Pallekele Pitch Report and Weather

A warm and mostly clear evening is forecast in Pallekele, which may bring about some dew. The last T20 on this ground was between SLC Greys and SLC Reds in August 2021, and the Greys belted 201/4. Dasun Shanaka struck 48* off 17 balls in that match.

Pallekele is one of the fastest scoring grounds in the world in T20Is. The last T20Is on this ground were in March 2020, where West Indies struck 196/4 to win by 25 runs and then chased 158 with three overs to spare in the next match.

SL vs AUS 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction 11 June 2022

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Kusal Mendis
• Batsmen: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Aaron Finch
• All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga
• Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Jhye Richardson

SL vs AUS 3rd T20 Match Prediction

Sri Lanka would have gained confidence after their effort in the 2nd T20I. However, Australia should win this match and seal the series 3-0.