Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st ODI Tips – Australia To Begin Champions Trophy Prep With A Win

By Nikhil Kalro

11 Feb 2025

Nikhil Kalro 11 Feb 2025

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Australia faces Sri Lanka in a pre-Champions Trophy ODI series in Colombo.
Australia confident post-Test series wins but cautious after recent ODI losses to Pakistan.
Sri Lanka aims to improve after a tough series against New Zealand using spin-heavy strategy.

Steve Smith and Charith Asalanka of Sri Lanka (Getty Images)

Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st ODI Tips
Sri Lanka Form
Sri Lanka Team News
Australia Form
Australia Team News

Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st ODI Tips

Australia head into their final preparations for the Champions Trophy with a short two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka that begins on Wednesday in Colombo. Both teams have not played much ODI cricket for a while with a busy Test season for both countries.

Australia will be buoyed by a terrific performance in the two-match Test series in Galle where they blew away Sri Lanka without hassle in both matches. However, they will also be aware that they were recently beaten by Pakistan in an ODI series at home.

For Sri Lanka, they are coming off a series against New Zealand where they were comfortably beaten for the first two matches before pulling one back in the final consolation ODI.

That will also give them some confidence as they head back into their most preferred format of cricket in conditions they will be very familiar with.

Sri Lanka Form

Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, which means that this series lacks much context in any form. Sri Lanka, as you would expect, have stacked their team with spinners for this series, including Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay.

As for the fast bowlers, Sri Lanka have gone in for Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Eshan Malinga and Mohamed Shiraz, who will have to do the bulk of the death bowling duties in these conditions.

Sri Lanka will have to rethink how they face spin in these conditions after they were comfortably beaten on surfaces that suit them more than Australia.

"There's definitely a question of whether we are playing spin very well as batters," Dhananjaya de Silva said.

"We'll have to rethink that. If you looked at how they played, they scored a lot of runs square of the wicket, and understood that it's hard to defend on these pitches.

"We couldn't apply that ourselves with the pressure that they put on us. We have to think about whether we keep playing on pitches like this, or on pitches better suited to us."

Sri Lanka Team News

Charith Asalanka will lead the 16-man squad that also includes Nishan Madushka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando, who will likely form the majority of the batting core.

Australia Form

Australia will head into this series with an eye on the Champions Trophy in particular with conditions expected to be similar in Pakistan and the UAE.

Australia don’t have too many issues with their ODI team with the return of several white-ball specialists, including Matthew Short, Sean Abbott, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Tanveer Sangha and Nathan Ellis.

The wicketkeeping duties will be picked up by Alex Carey, who is coming off a terrific series against Sri Lanka in the tests.

"The sweeps and reverses have always been my game, but I think it's about staying patient for longer," Carey said.

"I think I'm probably playing those shots at a time when the field allows for it. I'm just being a little bit smarter, and understanding risk versus reward, and the potential field changes sweeping might bring.”

Australia Team News

Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement ahead of the Champions Trophy while Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh will miss this series with their respective injuries.

Verdict

Sri Lanka v Australia - 1st ODI

While Sri Lanka don’t have much to play for, there will be plenty of eyes on this series to see how Australia adapt to spin-friendly conditions.

Australia are stacked with matchwinners while Sri Lanka are clearly missing firepower in their own team. The ODI series will certainly be closer than the Tests but we’re still backing Australia to come out on top.