Buoyant Sri Lanka a threat amid Australia’s uncertain batting

This group is accepted as the toughest to emerge from but a victory for either Australia or Sri Lanka to make it two from two would leave them strongly placed for a semi-final slot.Both sides chased successfully in their opening games, but Sri Lanka’s was more convincing than Australia’s albeit on a surface that was easier for strokeplay in Sharjah. The two teams last met in 2019 when Australia won 3-0 in home conditions.Having come through the qualifying stage unbeaten, Sri Lanka are building some nice momentum having been an unfancied side before the tournament. The way Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa resurrected the innings against Bangladesh will have been a huge fillip.For Australia, there was a bit of a sigh of relief to get over the line against South Africa, a match that shaped as vital for their hopes of progressing. They were excellent with the ball and in the field – led by Josh Hazlewood’s superb opening spell and the bonus of Glenn Maxwell’s four overs – but if they are to go deep in the competition, they will need David Warner and Aaron Finch to fire.