- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
As we enter the second half of the international cricket summer we welcome Sri Lanka to Australian shores. What can we expect from the series?
Last time Sri Lanka played Tests in Australia was in 2007/08. They played two and the result was 2-0 to Australia.
Out of those teams Australia will have Clarke, Hussey and Mitchell Johnson (if selected) returning.
Sri Lanka have Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Prasana Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga (although he doesn’t play Test cricket these days) returning.
In the more recent series in Sri Lanka in 2011, Australia won 1-0. It is largely the same players from both teams who will contest this series. Test rankings show Australia third on 114 points and Sri Lanka sixth on 96 points.
On paper Sri Lanka have a strong batting line-up and a quality spinner in Herath, but a lack of quality pace bowlers. Australia has an unsettled line-up but better pace bowling stocks.
Mahela and Sangakkara are two of the best batsmen going around in world cricket. Mahela has over 10,000 runs and an average over 50. Sangakkara has 9800 runs and an average of 55.
Of their other players Angelo Mathews was the star of their home series against Australia and averages 41 overall and 91 against Australia. Herath took 16 wickets in two Tests in the last series.
This first Test is at Hobart, where in 07/08 Mahela made a hundred and Sangakkara fell for 196. So those two players will have happy memories of Bellerive.
The pitch will suit the pace bowlers so these two will have to stand strong. However we should expect an Australian victory in Hobart.
The second Test in Melbourne suits the batsmen better so if the Sri Lankan batsman are in form they can mount a strong challenge. Again however pace bowling generally decides the Melbourne Test with low and uneven bounce on the fifth day and should suit Australia better.
A draw is likely with an Australian victory the only other realistic chance of a result.
In Sydney the spinners come out to play and Herath has the potential to wreak havoc among the Australian batting line-up. Australia have a decent spinner in Lyon too. A result is almost certain here and it could go either way.
Overall the Australian conditions suit pace bowlers and hence favour Australia to win the series with a 2-0 scoreline most likely. However if Sri Lanka bring their A-game it could be 1-1 and an entertaining series.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.