South Africa vs Australia Preview, Semi-Final World Cup 2023: Australia will face Sri Lanka in the 14th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium on Monday (October 16). Both teams find themselves near the bottom of the table without a win in their two matches each.
Australia suffered crushing defeats against India and South Africa, while Sri Lanka faced setbacks against South Africa and Pakistan. Australia currently holds the ninth position in the 10-team league table due to their poor Net Run Rate (NRR) of -1.846, while Sri Lanka sits in seventh place with an NRR of -1.161.
Sri Lanka’s relatively inexperienced bowling attack has conceded a total of 775 runs in their first two matches, largely due to the absence of key bowlers. Captain Dasun Shanaka is ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh injury, and Kusal Mendis will lead the team. Chamika Karunaratne, a replacement for Shanaka, is expected to strengthen the bowling attack in the upcoming match.
AUS Vs SL head-to-head records
In their head-to-head ODI encounters, Australia has played 103 matches against Sri Lanka and won 63 of them, while Sri Lanka secured victory in 36 matches, with 4 ending as no results. In World Cup matches, they have faced each other 11 times, with Australia emerging victorious in 8 of those encounters. Sri Lanka won twice, both of which occurred in 1996.
AUS Vs SL Pitch report
Historically known as a spinner-friendly ground, the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow has often witnessed low-scoring contests. However, the freshly prepared wickets for the World Cup, made from black soil, displayed some life, particularly in the initial innings of the Australia vs. South Africa match. South African fast bowlers claimed 6 out of the 10 Australian wickets.
South Africa won the first match of ICC World Cup 2023 in Lucknow by 134 runs, raising questions about the preference for batting second. In the four previous ODIs at this stadium, teams batting first and second have won two each, leaving the toss-winning captain with options to consider.
AUS Vs SL Weather report
According to AccuWeather, the city of Nawabs is likely to witness a hazy atmosphere with milder temperatures. The forecast indicates a mere 4% chance of daytime rain, which is likely to jump to 65% after sundown. As per the predictions, the likelihood of thunderstorm is just 1% during daylight hours, increasing to 19% when night falls.
AUS Vs SL Live Streaming Details
- Venue: Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
- Date & Time: October 16, 2pm IST onwards
- Live Streaming and TV details: Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar website and app
AUS Vs SL Squads
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
Sri Lanka:Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne.