Australia v Sri Lanka: All you need to know

14 Oct 2023 Josh Schonafinger, in Lucknow

With both sides yet to register a victory, there's lots on the line for Australia and Sri Lanka

'We find ourselves in a corner': Marsh

Both sides are searching for their opening victory of the 2023 ODI World Cup with losses from their opening two matches. Sri Lanka have scored over 300 on both occasions but their bowlers have struggled to contain the opposition by conceding 428 against South Africa and 345 against Pakistan. Australia conversely are yet to score 200, bowled out in both their matches for 199 and 177.

Match facts

Who: Australia v Sri Lanka

When: Monday, October 16. Coin toss at 7pm AEDT, first ball at 7.30pm AEDT (2pm local)

Where: Ekana Stadium, Lucknow

How to watch: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports and Channel Nine/Gem

Officials: Alex Wharf and Chris Gaffaney (standing), Chris Brown (third), Joel Wilson (fourth)

Live scores: Match Centre

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live app, the Unplayable Podcast

The squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Chamika Karunaratne

Alex Carey and Cameron Green were left out in Australia's last match, but not due to injury. It means all 14 Aussie players are available for selection, with Travis Head still at home in Adelaide but on track to join the squad later in the tournament.

Sri Lanka have lost their captain Dasun Shanaka to a thigh injury he sustained in their previous match against Pakistan. Replacement player Chamika Karunaratne has been approved by the ICC to come into the squad, meaning he could very likely play against Australia on Monday. The Lankans had to leave champion allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga out of their squad after a hamstring injury and have put their faith in 20-year-old spinner Dunith Wellalage. Along with mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, Sri Lanka will be hoping the Lucknow pitch takes a bit of turn.

Aussies stunned by pace onslaught after de Kock ton

Local knowledge

Australia have had the best possible exposure to the conditions at Ekana Stadium, spending 90 overs in the middle during their loss to South Africa.

The pitch appeared a touch slow in the opening stanza and took spin as the game progressed. Once the moisture levels rose as dusk hit, the ball did more for the quick bowlers as well.

"I was surprised to see it grip as much as it did," said Proteas quick Lungi Ngidi, who took 1-18 from eight overs in an impressive performance under lights.

Toss-up: Conditions still key in Cummins' crucial call

Marnus Labuschagne also said that the ground definitely became dewy as the night wore on, but Australia didn't have enough wickets in hand to capitalise.

"We saw right at the back end there the dew really came in and it probably played a part, but we didn't have any batters left," Labuschagne said post-match.

A top of 33C is expected for Monday in Lucknow, right around when the first ball will be bowled. However hazy and cloudy conditions are predicted, meaning the sunshine won't have the same bite as the Australian fielders experienced during the afternoon session against South Africa. Rain is extremely unlikely.

Probable starting XIs

Australia: David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoins, Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c, wk), Sadeer Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka

Australia decided to switch things up in their XI for the match against South Africa, swapping wicketkeepers (Josh Inglis in for Alex Carey) and allrounders (Marcus Stoinis in for Cameron Green). It means the duo will likely be given at least one more match to prove their worth and justify the unexpected swap.

Kusal Mendis will step up from vice-captain to captain in the wake of the news that regular skipper Dasun Shanaka's tournament is over. It's unlikely to cause a major rejig of the lineup however, with allrounder Chamika Karunaratne a like-for-like replacement. Matheesha Pathirana, the quick who bowls with a Lasith Malinga-style sling action, will miss with a shoulder complaint but he may have been left out anyway after returns of 1-95 and 1-90 in his first two matches. There are pace options to replace him, including Kasun Rajitha (who played against South Africa) and firebrand Lahiru Kumara. Sri Lanka's top order has been firing so far, with Kusal Perera the only one of the top five not to hit a half-century in the first two matches.

Marsh out to rectify Australia's slow start

Recent form

Past 10 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss

Australia: LLWLLLLLWW

The World Cup couldn't have started much worse for the Aussies, dropping both their opening matches to India and South Africa. Up and down form in South Africa and India prior to the World Cup has carried over into the tournament proper but might mean a strong performance isn't far off.

Sri Lanka: LLLWLWWWWW

Having to go to Zimbabwe and progress through the World Cup qualifying tournament in July, Sri Lanka put together a 13-match winning streak spanning their home series against Afghanistan, all through the qualifiers and into the Asia Cup, where they lost in the final to India. They've put up big scores against both South Africa and Pakistan to begin the World Cup but walked away winless from both.

2023 World Cup standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Net Run Rate NRR	Total points PTS
1 India Men IND	9	9	0	2.57	18
2 South Africa Men SA	9	7	2	1.261	14
3 Australia Men AUS	9	7	2	0.841	14
4 New Zealand Men NZ	9	5	4	0.743	10
5 Pakistan Men PAK	9	4	5	-0.199	8
6 Afghanistan Men AFG	9	4	5	-0.336	8
7 England Men ENG	9	3	6	-0.572	6
8 Bangladesh Men BAN	9	2	7	-1.087	4
9 Sri Lanka Men SL	9	2	7	-1.419	4
10 Netherlands Men NED	9	2	7	-1.825	4

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points

Last time they met

It's over 12 months since these sides met in the format, when Australia toured the island nation in June-July 2022. Sri Lanka won the five-match ODI series 3-2 but the Aussies clinched the final match, a low-scoring four-wicket victory in Colombo. Coincidentally it was an unbeaten 43-run stand between Alex Carey and Cameron Green who got them home on that occasion, the two players left out of Australia's XI in their 134-run loss to South Africa on Thursday.

'They will respond': Coach keeps faith for quick Cup turnaround

Head-to-head

Overall: Australia (63 wins), Sri Lanka (35 wins), no result (4)

Past 10 years: Australia (8 wins), Sri Lanka (4 wins)

Most runs: Kumar Sangakkara (1675), Ricky Ponting (1649), Mahela Jayawardene (1629), Adam Gilchrist (1511)

Most wickets: Lasith Malinga (48), Muttiah Muralidaran (48), Chaminda Vaas (47), Brett Lee (38)

Australia are on a six-match winning streak against Sri Lanka in this tournament – in fact the last time the Lankans defeated the Aussies was the 1996 World Cup final in Lahore.

Aussies won't 'look back far' to rediscover their best

Other stats

Australia have won only one of their last eight men's ODIs, however they had won 10 of their 11 matches in the format prior to that span.

Australia have lost their last four 50-over World Cup matches – their longest losing run in the history of the tournament.

Pathum Nissanka from Sri Lanka has scored 447 runs during the Powerplay in men's ODIs in 2023, the third most of any player from a Test playing country this year, behind only India's Shubman Gill (474) and Rohit Sharma (452).

Mitchell Starc has a strong record against Sri Lankan opener Kusal Perera with the left-arm quick dismissing Kusal three times in only 44 balls.

For Sri Lanka, allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva has been all over David Warner in ODIs, dismissing Warner each occasion he has bowled to him (four times) while conceding only 37 runs.

Where to next?

Australia head south to Bengaluru where Pakistan will be waiting, a team that holds a 2-1 record so far this tournament. Sri Lanka stay in Lucknow to take on the Netherlands.

Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures

October 8: Lost to India by six wickets

October 12: Lost to South Africa by 134 runs

October 16: v Sri Lanka, Lucknow (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 20: v Pakistan, Bengaluru (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 25: v Netherlands, Delhi (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 28: v New Zealand, Dharamsala, 4pm AEDT

November 4: v England, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

2023 World Cup standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Net Run Rate NRR	Total points PTS
1 India Men IND	9	9	0	2.57	18
2 South Africa Men SA	9	7	2	1.261	14
3 Australia Men AUS	9	7	2	0.841	14
4 New Zealand Men NZ	9	5	4	0.743	10
5 Pakistan Men PAK	9	4	5	-0.199	8
6 Afghanistan Men AFG	9	4	5	-0.336	8
7 England Men ENG	9	3	6	-0.572	6
8 Bangladesh Men BAN	9	2	7	-1.087	4
9 Sri Lanka Men SL	9	2	7	-1.419	4
10 Netherlands Men NED	9	2	7	-1.825	4