Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

T20 WC 2021 Match 22: AUS vs SL Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AUS vs SL Dream11 Prediction Today | Australia vs Sri Lanka Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

With West Indies and Bangladesh struggling badly, and South Africa dealing with internal issues, a great opportunity awaits Australia and Sri Lanka. Both sides won their respective first matches in contrasting fashion, as Australia crawled to their target of 119 against South Africa and Sri Lanka stormed to 172 against Bangladesh.

The action moves to Dubai with the quest to continue the momentum. Australia bowled well against South Africa, but questions around their batting remain. The form of their top three – particularly openers David Warner and Aaron Finch – is a worry, and Sri Lanka’s in-form pace attack is sure to test their mettle. However, a positive was Australia’s finishing courtesy of Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade, and they will be after more of the same.

So will Sri Lanka. Charith Asalanka, who was yet to find his feet in T20 cricket, was outstanding against Bangladesh. As was Bhanuka Rajapaksa. They are playing with confidence and come into this match on the back of four straight wins in the tournament. One feels their best chance today is making inroads into an Australian batting lineup that isn’t at its best, so an interesting battle awaits.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Australia:

• Much is made of David Warner’s form, and rightly so given his stature in white-ball cricket. He has a wonderful T20I record against Sri Lanka, with 447 runs in 12 matches at an average of 55.88 and strike rate of 136.70. This includes a century.
• Warner also enjoys batting at Dubai, with 536 runs in 15 matches at an average of 41.23 and strike rate of 134.00. However, this Sri Lankan side is fast-improving, so Warner will need to be at his best.
• Aaron Finch is also in need of runs. The skipper has a modest record vs Sri Lanka (217 runs, avg. 27.13, SR 147.62) and a similar modest record at Dubai (258 runs, avg. 23.45, SR 118.35).
• Glenn Maxwell has an extraordinary T20I record against Sri Lanka. The all-rounder has smashed 281 runs in four innings against them at an average of 140.50 and strike rate of 224.80. Also, Maxwell struck three half-centuries in three matches in the recent IPL.
• Steve Smith is the glue that holds this batting lineup together. The star batsman is coming off a hard-fought 34-ball 35 against South Africa. However, Smith will be out to improve on a poor T20 record at Dubai: 8 inns, 111 runs, avg. 13.88, SR 113.27. This will be his first T20I against Sri Lanka.
• Adam Zampa has the most wickets in Australia-Sri Lanka T20Is. The leg-spinner has taken an impressive haul of 14 scalps in seven matches at an average of 11.29 and economy rate of 5.64.
• Josh Hazlewood is in irresistible form. The pace bowler took 2/19 vs South Africa, including 2/1 in his first two overs in the powerplay. He took figures of 2/29, 2/29, 0/22 and 1/27 in matches at Dubai in the recent IPL.

Sri Lanka:

• Charith Asalanka was an excellent addition to Sri Lanka’s ODI team earlier this year. Now, he has made his first big impact in T20Is after a player of the match 80* off 49 balls against Bangladesh.
• Kusal Perera has scored the most runs against Australia of any current Sri Lankan player (174, avg. 24.86, SR 121.68). However, he continues to struggle for form this year: 9 inns, 168 runs, avg. 21.00, SR 111.25.
• Perera has struck 99 runs in two T20s at Dubai at an average of 49.50 and strike rate of 132.00.
• It has been all or nothing for Bhanuka Rajapaksa in recent matches. He has scored 0, 2, 42*, 1 and 53 in his last five white-ball matches, so the key is getting a start.
• Avishka Fernando has scored 0, 2* and 0 in his last three matches. This is after he enjoyed a good run of form with scores of 83*, 33, 62*, 61 and 30* in his previous five outings. Can he rediscover that form here?
• Wanindu Hasaranga went wicketless against Bangladesh, but he will be key against an Australia side that is questionable against spin. He has taken 26 wickets in 16 T20Is this year at an average of 12.96 and economy rate of 5.52.
• Lahiru Kumara is enjoying an excellent T20 World Cup. He has taken eight wickets so far at an average of 8.37 and economy rate of 4.62. He was very expensive in his only T20I against Australia, taking 1/49 back in 2019.
• If Maheesh Theekshana is fit, it will be a big boost for Sri Lanka. The spinner has eight wickets at 5.62 and economy rate of just 5.00 in the tournament.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 16, Australia 8, Sri Lanka 8.
• Australia have won the last four matches against Sri Lanka, including an easy 3-0 sweep at home in 2019.
• Mitchell Starc has taken nine wickets in six T20Is vs Sri Lanka (avg. 18, econ. 6.75). Pat Cummins is not far behind with eight wickets in six matches (avg. 19.50, econ. 7.09).
• Glenn Maxwell has dismissed Kusal Perera twice in 13 deliveries in T20Is.

Possible Playing 11

Australia should look at playing the same XI that beat Sri Lanka.

Australia: 1. David Warner, 2. Aaron Finch (c), 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Steve Smith, 5. Glenn Maxwell, 6. Marcus Stoinis, 7. Matthew Wade (wk), 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Josh Hazlewood

If Maheesh Theekshana is fit, he will likely slot in for Binura Fernando.

Sri Lanka: 1. Kusal Perera (wk), 2. Pathum Nissanka, 3. Charith Asalanka, 4. Avishka Fernando, 5. Wanindu Hasaranga, 6. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 7. Dasun Shanka (c), 8. Chamika Karunaratne, 9. Dushmantha Chameera, 10. Lahiru Kumara, 11. Binura Fernando/Maheesh Theekshana

Dubai Pitch Report and Weather

Batting second is the way to go in Dubai. The chasing team has won all three matches so far on this ground in the T20 World Cup.

The average first innings score in the recent IPL was 156.23, with CSK chasing 173 and then posting 192 themselves in the crunch matches.

Teams batting second have won 12 of the last 16 matches on this ground. Expect the captain who wins the toss to chase given there is likely to be dew.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Kusal Perera
• Batsmen: Steve Smith, Charith Asalanka
• All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga
• Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Lahiru Kumara

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

Sri Lanka are playing good cricket, so they should definitely not be taken lightly. Australia with their bowling attack start as favourites, but this one could come down to who bats second.