Australia have not named a fourth spinner for their opening T20 World Cup game and will bowl first after Sri Lanka won the toss
Australia opt for Brown as Sri Lanka bat first in Sharjah
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Australia will not play a fourth spinner in their T20 World Cup opening match, opting for the express pace of Darcie Brown for their showdown with Sri Lanka in Sharjah.
Sri Lanka will bat first after captain Chamari Athapaththu won the toss, sticking with the spin-heavy attack they fielded in their first-up defeat to Pakistan at the same venue.
Australia XI: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
Sri Lanka XI: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Fernando, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodani
They have made one change, swapping left-arm spinners with Inoka Ranaweera replacing Sachini Nisansala.
The slow and low nature of the Sharjah pitches, where 22 wickets fell to spin across two games on Thursday, had prompted discussion of whether Australia would bring either leg-spinner Alana King or off-spin bowling allrounder Grace Harris into the XI.
But ultimately it was Brown who got the nod, also head of fellow quick Tayla Vlaeminck.
Phoebe Litchfield has taken her place in the XI after overcoming groin soreness to make her T20 World Cup debut, while left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is playing her first T20 World Cup match since the 2020 final.
Sri Lanka have vowed to throw everything at Australia as they look to get their campaign back on track after their upset loss to Pakistan.
"We have confidence, still we have belief," Athapaththu said.
"Now we know we have do-or-die games, we have to do or die, that's it."
2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup
Australia's Group A fixtures
October 5: v Sri Lanka, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 8pm AEST
October 8: v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 9 AEDT
October 11: v Pakistan, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 12 AEDT
October 13: v India, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 14 AEDT
Finals
October 17: Semi-final 1, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 18 AEDT
October 18: Semi-final 2, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 19 AEDT
October 20: Final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 21 AEDT
For the full list of fixtures click here. All matches live and exclusive on Prime Video. Sign up here for a 30-day free trial