Australia Women v Sri Lanka Women, 3rd T20I, Sydney: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

Australia being Australia, the three-match T20I series is already wrapped up 2-0. Sri Lanka were blown away by nine wickets in the second T20I, and with that, the world champions sealed yet another series triumph, against a side that relies too much on one woman.

However, there is an opportunity here for Sri Lanka to upset the hosts. There were signs – if we’re stretching it – in the first T20I that Sri Lanka can jolt the hosts. They need their talisman Chamari Athapaththu to fire to have hopes of doing that again. She hammered her a maiden T20I century in the first match to put Australia under rare pressure, and if the team can support her for the final T20I, what a result it would be.

Athapaththu thereafter urged her team-mates to play freely in the next few matches, but unfortunately for them, what they managed wasn’t ideal – they were restricted to 84/8 in the second match, a target Australia knocked off in under ten overs.

The world champions have it easy – they know that if they dismiss Athapaththu early, they have already made huge inroads into Sri Lanka. Athapaththu desperately needs support, and that will be Sri Lanka’s agenda for the final T20I.

Head to head

The teams have clashed in just four T20Is in all, including the first two matches of this series. Australia have won each of them. Their previous two wins came in the World T20 in 2016 and later that year, in a one-off tour of Sri Lanka.

Key players

Beth Mooney (Australia): If Sri Lanka are to stand the minutest chance, they need to restrict Australia’s runs. To do that, they have to dismiss Beth Mooney early. She has already racked up 141 runs in to matches, including that century in the first T20I, and the earlier Sri Lanka can see her off, the better.

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka): The biggest star in Sri Lanka, Australia will know if they dismiss her early, they have a hold on the match. Athapaththu will be, in turn, hopeful of once again laying waste to the hosts’ attack, but this time, she will need support from her team-mates.

Likely XIs

Australia: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (wk), Erin Burns, Ellyse Perry, Rachel Haynes, Meg Lanning (c), Nicola Carey, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Yasoda Mendis, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Harshitha Madavi, Shashikala Siriwardene, Hansima Karunaratne, Nilakshi de Silva, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Ama Kanchana, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Udeshika Prabodhani

Predictions

Australia to coast to another win and another sweep.