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Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI Tips - Hop and win for the Kangaroos

By Sridhar Bhamidi

11 Feb 2025

Sridhar Bhamidi 11 Feb 2025

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Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI match predictions to be played in Colombo on Wednesday, February 12
Sri Lanka lost 7 of their last 10 ODIs against Australia
Australia won 4 of their last 6 away ODIs

Can Australia channel their inner spirit and take a lead in the Sri Lanka ODI series? (Getty Images)

Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI

With an eye on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai, Australia will look to make the most of their two ODIs against Sri Lanka. The first match will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday from 10 am IST.

Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI
Head to Head
Sri Lanka Form
Sri Lanka Team News
Australia Form
Australia Team News
Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI FAQs

These teams played in the Tests and Australia dominated Sri Lanka. With a squad that has a number of aggressive options, the World Champions look set to continue their good show in the ODIs. I am backing an Australian win here.

Sri Lanka lost 7 of their last 10 matches against Australia (ODIs).
Australia won 16 of their last 20 matches (ODIs).
Australia also won 4 of their last 6 away matches (ODIs).
Adam Zampa was Australia’s highest wicket-taker, joint or alone, in 3 of his last 5 matches against Sri Lanka (ODIs).

Head to Head

Sri Lanka and Australia have played each other in 103 ODIs so far, with 35 wins for Sri Lanka and 64 wins for Australia. Four matches ended without any result.

These sides played at this venue in June 2022, when Sri Lanka won 2-1. The most recent head-to-head was in Lucknow in October 2023 in the ODI World Cup when Australia won by five wickets.

Sri Lanka Form

Sri Lanka aren’t part of the upcoming Champions Trophy, as they finished ninth in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Islanders did redeem themselves post that debacle with wins over India, Afghanistan, West Indies, and New Zealand.

At home, Sri Lanka have won 11 of their last 14 ODIs, with two ending without a result and one finishing as a tie. They could be a difficult opponent on their day in these conditions.

The home team made just one change for this series, with Chamindu Wickramasinghe dropped. Four spin options in the squad suggest they could once again look to bank on their tweakers.

Sri Lanka Team News

From the squad of 16, it looks like Nuwanidu Fernando, Nishan Madushka, Mohamed Shiraz, Jeffrey Vandersay, and one of Asitha Fernando or Lahiru Kumara is likely to sit out.

Australia Form

The World champions will hope to assert their supremacy on this format in the upcoming Champions Trophy, which means they could make the best use of these ODIs to test their strategies.

Steven Smith will continue to be the captain, as Australia looks to balance their squad options with injuries.

Marcus Stoinis has announced his retirement from this format, while Mitchell Marsh was withdrawn due to a back injury. Another regular duo of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood is also out due to injuries.

Australia Team News

Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, and Ben Dwarshuis have flown from Australia but could miss out here. Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson are also likely to be out.

Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI FAQs

Where can I watch the Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI live stream?

Our live streaming calendar shows you where to watch the Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI live stream.

What time does Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI start?

This Sri Lanka vs Australia First ODI match is being played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, starting at 10 a.m. IST on Thursday, February 6.

Verdict

Sri Lanka v Australia - 1st ODI

Australia has had to change their squad multiple times, thanks to injuries and, in the case of Marcus Stoinis, a retirement. That doesn’t take anything away from their strong batting unit. Sri Lanka’s hopes rest on using the spin contingent to their advantage. It could still be Australia’s game to lose, and I am backing the visitors to win.