Australia’s specialist T20 squad will square off against Sri Lanka in the first of three T20’s on Thursday from the MCG. With the Test team preparing for a massive series against India, the T20 team will be led by Aaron Finch and will feature a host of Big Bash stars.
It’ll be a completely new look side for the Aussies, with Perth Scorchers quartet Michael Klinger, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson all getting the nod after strong BBL campaigns. Tim Paine will also make his first appearance in green and gold in over five years as he gets the call up to keep wicket in Matthew Wade’s absence.
Some regular T20 faces will make up the rest of the lineup, with Travis Head, James Faulkner, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake and Pat Cummins all named in the squad. Moises Henriques will also get his long-awaited chance back in the Australian side after a dominant Big Bash season.
Note: Chris Lynn has been replaced in the squad due to injury. Ben Dunk will come into the team for the 1st game, given his dominant Big Bash season, we think that the Aussies won't lose much production here.
It’s a testament to the depth of Australia that they can field a side this strong whilst a bunch of their first-choice players are currently in India. All it will take in this one is for one of the top 3 in Finch, Head or Dunk to have a big game and the Aussies should put a monster total on the board.
The touring side will be bolstered by the return of Sri Lankan hero Lasith Malinga, who in his prime was the number one T20 bowler in the world. However, the loss of Captain Angelo Matthews will be a big blow, with Upal Tharanga to take over duties for the T20s.
The batting load will fall predominantly on Niroshan Dickwella and Tharanga, who have both been in pretty good form leading into the series. They put on a 70-run partnership to steer Sri Lanka to victory in their warm up match against the Prime Ministers XI a few days ago.
Malinga will be the key man here. We’ve seen in the past that he’s capable of absolutely rolling through a T20 batting lineup, having a best 5/31 off 4 overs in T20 internationals. If the Aussies can keep his deadly yorker out and look to attack other bowlers, than they should win this one comfortably.
There’s not much value in the H2H market, with Australia paying just $1.30 (PalmerBet) at best, so we’ll look elsewhere for value here.
With a relatively new look bowling attack that features Stanlake, Cummins, Zampa and debutant Andrew Tye, a lot of responsibility will fall upon James Faulkner in the death. Look for him to pick up junk time wickets late and lead Australia in the wicket taking column.
TIP: Most Australian Wickets, James Faulkner - $4.75 at Unibet
Dickwella has looked the pick of the Sri Lankan batsmen in the lead up games as well as in their series against South Africa earlier this month. Look for him to lead the Sri Lankan batting line-up here.
TIP: Most Sri Lankan Runs, Niroshan Dickwella - $4.35 at William Hill
Sri Lanka don’t have a lot of powerful hitters in their line-up, unlike Australia who have Dunk and Finch. Most bookmakers are offering around $1.30 for Australia to hit the most sixes, however, Bet365 think that it’s only a $1.61 chance.
TIP: Australia Most Sixes - $1.61 at Bet365
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
