ODI preview / Andrew Hughes / 09 February 2012 /

The World Cup runners-up take on the hosts in Friday's CWB Series clash, but Andrew Hughes thinks there's little reason for Sri Lankan optimism.

February 10, Australia v Sri Lanka, Perth, live on Sky Sports 2, 04:20 GMT

Team News
Australia announced a squad for the first three games of the competition and it's likely they'll want to have a look a Peter Forrest in Perth. The likeliest candidates to step aside are David Hussey or Daniel Christian, but there is a possibility that one of Ricky Ponting or Michael Hussey could be asked to sit this one out.

Sri Lanka went with an all-seam attack on Tuesday but given the success which Ravinchandran Ashwin enjoyed for India, they may opt to include their own specialist spinner, Rangana Herath, in which case the two seamers who offer least with the bat, Nuwan Kulasekara and Dhammika Prasad are the prime candidates to be rested.

Venue and Conditions
There was plenty of the familiar pace and bounce on show at the W.A.C.A. on Tuesday but the surface was also pretty dry, with more than a few cracks to interest the spinners. The forecast is for a warm day on Friday with temperatures in the 30s and no rain in sight. Surprisingly, Australia have a modest recent record at the venue, having won only five of their last ten ODIs in Perth.

Match Odds
In their opening game, Sri Lanka were not really troubled by the Indian fast bowlers but they could find themselves on the receiving end of a battering from the Australian quicks who were able to expose sub-continental weaknesses against pace when they rolled India over at the M.C.G. Mitchell Starc and Ryan Harris in particular will relish handing out similar treatment to the Sri Lankans on a much faster wicket.

Some of the Sri Lankan batsmen at least showed some form on Tuesday, notably Dinesh Chandimal and Tillakaratne Dilshan, and there was a pleasing cameo from Angelo Mathews. And on the face of it, [3.25] in the winners market should make the World Cup runners-up an attractive betting proposition. But since that final, they've won just 8 of their 22 ODIs, are on their third captain in a year and haven't been paid for months. The suspicion is that Sri Lanka are in free-fall and with potential for further deterioration, they are hard to back right now.

Top Australian Batsman
The form of Matthew Wade continues to delight the Australian selectors, even if it isn't doing much for Brad Haddin. Both the Hussey brothers were also in good touch on Friday and with Michael available at [7.0] or so and David around [8.0] they would normally be worth considering. But with neither of the Husseys certain to play, the sensible option is to stick with Wade at [5.5] or better.

Top Sri Lankan Batsman
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are the reliable contenders in this market, but both were a little scratchy on Tuesday and now that he has shed the burden of captaincy, Tillakaratne Dilshan can be considered value in this market again. He hit a promising 48 in Sri Lanka's opener which included some decent shots against short-pitched deliveries and is the one to be on at around [5.5]

Featured Market
There have been some big scores at the W.A.C.A. but in recent times, the high numbers seem to have dried up. The average top score in the last five ODIs at the venue is only 71, suggesting that it may be getting harder to bat on. That being the case, it's worth considering backing 'Under 82.5' in the Highest Individual Score market at [1.75] or better

Recommended Bet
Back Tillakaratne Dilshan to top score for Sri Lanka at 5.5 or better

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