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THE FACTS
When is Sri Lanka vs Australia taking place? Tuesday, June 21st, 2022 – 10:00 (UK)
Where is Sri Lanka vs Australia taking place? R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
What is the expected weather for Sri Lanka vs Australia? 28-30c with a chance of thundery showers and light winds throughout.
What channel is Sri Lanka vs Australia on? The match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Sri Lanka vs Australia? This match can be streamed live via the Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube channel.
LAST MEETING
Sri Lanka beat Australia by six wickets (DLS).
THE TEAM NEWS
SRI LANKA
- Sri Lanka moved ahead of Australia in this five-match ODI series, taking a 2-1 lead after an excellent chase of 292 in the third ODI, despite losing the toss and being asked to bat first.
- The star of the show for the hosts was opener Pathum Nissanka, who scored a wonderful 137 from 147 balls and the Sri Lankan batter has now scored 207 runs across the series so far.
- Kusal Mendis was forced to retire on 86 due to cramps, but is expected to recover in time to play, whilst Danushka Gunathilaka (hamstring) and Wanindu Hasaranga (groin) will both likely remain sidelined.
AUSTRALIA
- Australia will feel that the decision they made at the toss to bat first was the wrong one, with the pitch seemingly becoming easier to bat on under the lights, leaving Australia short on runs and now 2-1 behind in the series and needing consecutive wins to triumph.
- The tourists could well play Mitchell Starc in a bid to rescue the series, despite him having not played due to a finger injury, whilst Pat Cummins could also feature although it would mean risking his fitness ahead of the upcoming Test series.
- Leg-spin-bowler Mitchell Swepson did not feature on Sunday, but is likely to play in this one when taking into account the lack of potency afforded by the Australian spinners last time out.
THE PREDICTION
Despite Sri Lanka’s injury problems, they have looked the more settled side than Australia over the course of the ODI series so far. The tourists have clearly struggled to find the right balance within their team and the bowling has lacked a clinical edge particularly across the third ODI. The weather forecast makes it difficult to predict a winner in the fourth ODI with thundery showers possibly disrupting play. However, the pitch in Colombo is expected to be a good one, so consider backing over 286.5 runs to be scored in the 1st innings, as was the case on Sunday.