Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st T20 Match Preview, Probable XIs, Match Prediction, Pitch Report & More

Preview: Sri Lanka and Australia will face each other in the 1st fixture of the 3-match bilateral T20I series at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Tuesday. Both teams went head-to-head earlier this year, with Australia winning the series by 4-1. In a one-off T20I against Pakistan, they chased down the target of 163 successfully. The key players for the team will be Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood. After losing to Australia, Sri Lanka faced a 3-0 loss to India as well. But the home conditions would keep them confident ahead of this game. The likes of Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga are vital players for them. Match Details: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st T20I Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Date & Time: 7th June at 7:00 PM IST and Local Time Live Streaming: Sony Six and Sony LIV app. Pitch Report: It will be a balanced surface at Colombo, with assistance for the batters as well as bowlers. A total of 150 will be the par score on this venue, and the bowlers would look to use the variations to secure a victory. The rain showers and overcast conditions can help the fast bowlers with the ball. Probable XI Sri Lanka Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara Australia Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood Top Picks- Batters Pathum Nissanka: The top-order batter was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series against Australia, with 184 runs in five innings at an average of 36.80. Mitchell Marsh: The man in form delivered impactful knocks for his IPL team, Delhi Capitals. He scored 251 runs in 8 innings at a strike rate of 132.80. In eight innings of BBL 2021/22, he garnered 347 runs, with a top score of 100*. Top Picks- All-Rounders Wanindu Hasaranga: The finest bowler of the Sri Lanka team was the leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2021. In the recently concluded IPL, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 26 scalps in 16 matches. Glenn Maxwell: The swashbuckling batter scored 138 runs in five innings against Sri Lanka in the T20I series earlier this year. Moreover, he was impressive with 301 runs in 13 innings of IPL 2022. Top Picks- Bowlers Josh Hazlewood: The experienced fast bowler was the best bowler in the series against Sri Lanka, wherein he scalped a total of 8 wickets in 3 matches. In 12 matches of IPL 2022, he had 20 wickets. Maheesh Theekshana: He picked five wickets in as many matches against Australia in February. He continued his fine form to pick up 12 wickets in 9 appearances of IPL 2022 at an economy of 7.46. Top Picks- Wicket-Keeper Kusal Mendis: The talented batter will hold the key to steer Sri Lanka in a fine fashion in this fixture. In 32 T20Is, he has scored 638 runs, with a top score of 79. Player Career T20I Stats Mitchell Marsh 885 runs and 15 wickets David Warner 2554 runs Glenn Maxwell 1982 runs and 34 wickets Wanindu Hasaranga 57 wickets and 345 runs Josh Hazlewood 40 wickets