Australia Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 1st ODI, Brisbane: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

The ICC Women’s Championship ODIs resume on Saturday, October 5, with the top-placed Australia taking on bottom-of-the-pile Sri Lanka at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. After Australia’s 3-0 sweep of the T20Is, the mismatch couldn’t be more evident.

Australia lead the IWC table having played three matches lesser than their nearest competitors England. They have 28 points from 15 matches, after winning 14 of them. They have suffered just the one loss in those matches, and their net run-rate of +1.661 is already vastly superior to England’s +1.173 – the next best. They are, simply, the best team in the women’s game.

Then there is Sri Lanka, whose standing in the table is at the other extreme. They’re propping up the rest of the teams, having lost 14 of their 15 matches so far. They have just two points, after victory over India in September last year, and there is a definite over-reliance on their captain, Chamari Athapaththu.

The numbers make for grim reading. Australia have been near-unbeatables in the league, while Sri Lanka have been almost guaranteed points for most teams. It is a stark mismatch, and in Brisbane on Saturday, barring something extraordinary, Goliath will triumph over David.

Head to head

Australia and Sri Lanka have played 8 ODIs so far, going back to December 2000. The hosts have won every single encounter. Sri Lanka will be up against it on Saturday.

Key players

Alyssa Healy (Australia): Healy was at her blistering best in the final T20I, scoring the second-fastest century in the format and the highest T20I individual score as she hit 148 off 61 balls. It was a statement of dominance as much as anything else, and Sri Lanka’s bowlers will be nervous when they steam in to her in the ODIs – that will only play to her strengths.

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka): Sri Lanka’s captain and best player can only do so much. Her century in the first T20I was in vain, and the team crumbled under the pressure put on them by Australia in the subsequent two matches. She will need to lead from the front once again for her team to have any chance.

Likely XIs

Australia: Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry, Nicola Carey, Delissa Kimmince, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Madavi, Dilani Mandodara (wk), Shashikala Siriwardene, Nilakshi de Silva, Ama Kanchana, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadarshini, Achini Kulasuriya

Prediction

Australia to rack up more points with another breeze to victory.