AUS vs SL LIVE: 1st T20I Stats and Betting Tips

AUS vs SL LIVE: After all the saga around Justin Langer and Australia’s coaching situation, attention will finally turn back to cricket as the current world champions do battle against Sri Lanka in a five-match series.

The first match, to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), will be Australia’s first T20 International since winning the World Cup in the UAE in November. It will also be Sri Lanka’s first T20 since their encouraging performance in the showpiece tournament.

Australia will be without David Warner and Mitchell Marsh (rested), while Sri Lanka will be looking to build on promising performances over the past six months. Importantly, both sides will be aiming to build confidence as part of their preparations for another T20 World Cup later this year, as well as make the perfect start to this series.

Here’s a quick guide about online betting apps on how it works.

AUS vs SL LIVE: Match details

• Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
  
• Time: 7:00pm (Sydney time), 1:30pm (IST)

AUS vs SL LIVE: Likely XIs

Australia: Ben McDermott, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Inglis, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando/Lahiru Kumara

Leading contenders for top performers: Australia

AUS vs SL LIVE: Top run-scorer:

• Glenn Maxwell loves playing against Sri Lanka: five innings, 286 runs, average 95.33, strike rate 218.32. This includes a top score of 145*. Also, he scored 154* in the recent BBL.
  
• Aaron Finch averages over 50 in six T20s at the SCG, which includes a century. The skipper will be motivated to have a big year after a lean 2021. He averages 28.22 in nine innings vs Sri Lanka, so there is room for improvement in that regard.
  
• Ben McDermott smashed 577 runs in the recent BBL at an average of 48.08 and strike rate of 153.86. No player scored more.

AUS vs SL LIVE: Top wicket-taker:

• Adam Zampa takes two wickets per match on average vs Sri Lanka (16 wickets in eight matches). He took 2/12 in Australia’s victory over the Lions in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
  
• Mitchell Starc has taken 11 wickets in seven matches vs Sri Lanka at an average of 17.18. Also, he takes nearly two wickets per match on average in T20s at the SCG (15 wickets in eight matches).
  
• Josh Hazlewood had a great year in T20s in 2021. He took 34 wickets in 24 matches for franchise and country.

Here are the best cricket match prediction sites from the experts.

Leading contenders for top performers: Sri Lanka

Top run-scorer:

• Charith Asalanka was one of the top performers in last year’s T20 World Cup (231 runs, average 46.20, strike rate 147.13). This included a 27-ball 35 against Australia.
• Pathum Nissanka won player of the series in the recent ODIs against Zimbabwe (156 runs in three matches).
• Avishka Fernando averages just 12.50 in 28 T20I innings. However, he scored 100 and 63 in his last two innings in the Lanka Premier League just before Christmas.

Top wicket-taker:

• Wanindu Hasaranga will be key. Australia’s lineup is filled with right-handers, and 43 of Hasaranga’s 51 T20I wickets are right-handers. He took 2/22 against Australia in the World Cup.
• Dushmantha Chameera took 35 wickets in 29 T20s in 2021, including some promising performances in England.
• Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana took eight wickets in his last five Lanka Premier League matches. He could also enjoy bowling to Australia’s right-handers.

AUS vs SL LIVE: Head-to-head stats

• Australia leads Sri Lanka 9-8 in 17 meetings.
  
• Australia have won the last five T20Is between the two teams.
  
• Sri Lanka won five T20Is in a row in Australia between 2010 and 2017. Australia have won all four since, including a 3-0 series win in 2019.

SCG Pitch Report and Conditions

AUS vs SL LIVE: It is likely to rain during the day in Sydney on Friday, which could mean a shortened match. Expect an easy-paced batting surface, similar to what was on show in the recent BBL.

The average first innings score at the SCG in BBL 11 was 173.67 in six matches, with the teams batting first and second winning three games each.

AUS vs SL 1st T20I betting tips

Australia start as favorites, given that they have greater power right down their lineup. The likes of Maxwell, Finch, and co. are capable of clearing the boundary rope regularly compared to Sri Lanka.

However, keep an eye on the weather for this match. A shortened match usually gives the chasing team an advantage, so keep this in mind when placing any bets. Looking for free cricket match betting tips from the betting experts? Read more here.