Australia, historically the most successful team in the ODI World Cup, has had a disappointing start to this tournament. In their two matches played so far, they are yet to secure a victory, positioning them second from the bottom of the points table. Australia faces the challenge of delivering stronger performances in their upcoming matches to improve their standing.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is another team that has struggled to find its form in this tournament. With losses in both of their matches, they currently occupy the seventh position on the points table. Like Australia, they will need to raise their game significantly to turn their fortunes around.

Australia: Australia has faced a tough start to this edition of the World Cup, suffering back-to-back defeats. In their opening match, they were defeated by India, who secured a six-wicket win. In their most recent game, they faced a significant loss to South Africa, losing by 134 runs after losing the toss and opting to field first.

Australia’s bowling unit had a subpar performance, conceding 311 runs in 50 overs. Glenn Maxwell was the standout bowler, claiming two wickets in his ten overs while giving away 34 runs. Mitchell Starc also contributed with two wickets, though he conceded 53 runs in his nine overs.

Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, and team captain Pat Cummins each secured a single wicket. However, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis were unable to pick up any wickets. Despite their strong and experienced bowling unit, Australia has yet to find their winning form.

The Australian batting order has also underperformed in the tournament, as evidenced in their recent match against South Africa. Chasing a target of 312 runs, the team was bowled out for just 177 runs in 40.5 overs. Marnus Labuschagne was the top scorer for Australia, amassing 46 runs from 74 balls with three boundaries.

However, key batsmen such as David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Josh Inglis, and Glenn Maxwell have not lived up to expectations. Additionally, Marcus Stoinis, an important all-rounder in the lineup, has also struggled. Australia will be looking to regain their form and secure a much-needed win in the upcoming matches.

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has faced consecutive losses in the tournament, with their most recent defeat coming against Pakistan, who secured a six-wicket victory. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka decided to bat first, and their batting performance in the match was exceptional, resulting in a total of 344 runs in 50 overs. Two Sri Lankan batsmen achieved centuries in this innings.

Kusal Mendis was the standout performer, scoring 122 runs from just 77 balls with an impressive 14 boundaries and six towering sixes. Sadeera Samarawickrama also delivered a century, accumulating a total of 108 runs. He faced 89 balls and struck 11 boundaries and two huge sixes. Another notable contribution came from Pathum Nissanka, who scored 51 runs from 61 balls, including seven boundaries and a massive six. Dhananjaya de Silva managed to contribute 25 runs to the team’s total.

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka’s bowling unit has struggled in the tournament, failing to defend a target of 345 runs in their recent match against Pakistan. Pakistan successfully chased down the target in 48.2 overs. Dilshan Madushanka was the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka, taking two wickets in 9.2 overs while conceding 60 runs. Maheesh Theekshana picked up one wicket in his ten overs, giving away 59 runs. Matheesha Pathirana also managed to secure one wicket but conceded a significant number of runs, as he was charged for 90 runs in his ten overs. Unfortunately, Dunith Wellalage, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, and team captain Dasun Shanaka were unable to pick up any wickets in the match. Sri Lanka will be aiming to improve their bowling performance in the upcoming matches.

Australia: Pat Cummins(Captain), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis (Wicket-Keeper), Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazelwood.

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis(Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama (Wicket-Keeper), Dhananjaya De Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka.

As per the match prediction, Australia enters this match as the favored team with several factors contributing to their advantage.

• Both Australia and Sri Lanka have yet to secure a win in the current tournament, which levels the playing field.
• Sri Lanka’s struggles primarily stem from their bowling unit, which has faced difficulties in recent matches.
• A significant setback for Sri Lanka is the absence of their key bowler, Wanindu Hasaranga, which can weaken their bowling attack for this match.
• While key Australian players have faced performance challenges in the tournament, it’s essential to note that the potential for a strong comeback always exists.
• Sri Lanka’s key batsmen have shown good form, which can make them a competitive side in the match.

With these factors in mind, Australia maintains a slight edge as the favorite, but the match outcome remains uncertain and open to the performance of both teams on the day

Australia presents a well-balanced side with a formidable batting lineup and a strong bowling unit, which enhances their prospects for victory in today’s match. The likelihood of who will win today’s cricket match is delineated as follows:

Australia is favored with a 70% chance of winning this match.
Sri Lanka is considered the underdog with a 30% chance of winning this match.

While Australia enjoys the upper hand, the outcome of the match remains subject to on-field performance and competition.

The toss is expected to have a significant influence on the outcome of every match in the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023. As per toss predictions, the team that wins the toss is likely to opt for batting first, given that the pitch’s characteristics are anticipated to remain consistent throughout both innings.

The 14th encounter of the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 is set to take place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Based on previous matches held at this venue, the pitch appears to favor batting. It’s worth noting that the track tends to be on the slower side, offering assistance to spinners. As the match progresses, we anticipate the surface to further decelerate, making it a challenge to chase a score exceeding 300.

The weather outlook for Lucknow does not appear promising for this cricket encounter. While there are some possibilities of rain, we remain hopeful for a complete and uninterrupted match. It’s worth noting that rain impacted many warm-up matches, and there is a likelihood that the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method might come into play for decision-making in this match. Our hope is that the weather will ultimately cooperate for this cricket contest.

• Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium
• Located In: Lucknow, India
• Inaugurated: 2017
• Seating Capacity: 50,000
• Also Recognized As: Ekana International Cricket Stadium
• Time Zone: UTC +05:30
• Serves as the Home Ground for: Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Super Giants
• Equipped with Floodlights: Yes