Australia who saw their title-defence begin with an embarrassing defeat in their Super 12 opener will have a shot at redemption as they take on Sri Lanka at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Tuesday, October 25.

The hosts of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 were handed a chastening defeat in their Group 1 opener against last year’s beaten finalist New Zealand.

After electing to field first, the Australian bowling attack looked toothless against the rampant Kiwis who, buoyed by Devon Conway’s unbeaten 92 off 58 balls, posted a challenging total of 200/3.

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The Australian batting order then put up an equally lacklustre display with Glenn Maxwell (28) finishing as the highest scorer as the Kiwi bowlers bundled them out for just 111 runs in 17.1 overs, sealing a heavy 89-run defeat.

The defeat leaves Australia in a precarious position at the bottom of a challenging group with a negative Net Run-Rate of -4.450. The defending champions will be aware that they cannot afford any more slip-ups if they hope to make it to the knockout stages.

Sri Lanka on the other hand are on a fine run of form. The recently crowned Asian champions brushed off a defeat by Namibia in their opener during the first round of the T20 World Cup to finish top of their qualifying group with back-to-back victories.

The Lions followed that up with a dominant 9-wicket victory over Ireland in their Super 12 opener. Spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana (2/19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2/25) proved too difficult to handle for Ireland as they restricted their opponents to a measly total of 128/8.

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Kusal Mendis then remained unbeaten on 68 off 43 balls as Sri Lanka chased down the total in double-quick time with 30 balls to spare. That result means Sri Lanka are second in their group with a healthy Net Run-Rate of +2.467.

A victory for Dasun Shanaka’s men against the reigning world champions will not only help them gain a stronger foothold in the group but also lay down a marker of the team’s recent progress.

Form Guide (last five matches, most recent first)

Australia: L-NR-L-L-W

Sri Lanka: W-W-W-L-W

Australia vs Sri Lanka (Head to Head in T20Is)

Matches played: 25

Australia Won: 14

Sri Lanka Won: 10

Tied: 1

Pitch: The track at the Optus Stadium in Perth is known to be a batting friendly surface so we can expect a high-scoring encounter. The good bounce will encourage batters to go for their shots. The average score when batting first in T20 cricket at this stadium is 142 while the highest total at the venue is 208/6 scored by England against Australia in October this year.

Australia vs Sri Lanka Weather Prediction: According to weather.com we should be in for a warm day in Perth tomorrow with partly cloudy conditions. With no rain predicted we could enjoy an uninterrupted game of cricket.

AUS vs SL Possible XIs:

Australia Likely Playing XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (C), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (WK), Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa.

Sri Lanka Likely Playing XI: Ashen Bandara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (C), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana and Lahiru Kumara.

AUS vs SL Top Fantasy Picks:

Wicket-keeper: Kusal Mendis

Batters: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

All-rounder: Marcus Stoinis, Dasun Shanaka, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga

Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Maheesh Theekshana, Mitchell Starc

Betting Odds (bet365)

Australia: 1.22

Sri Lanka: 4.1

Where to watch: The match begins at 4:30 PM IST. In India, the match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network. Online viewers can follow the live action on the Disney+Hotstar app.