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Fantasy Preview: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test

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Last updated on 28 Jun 2022 | 09:38 AM
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Fantasy Preview: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test

Here are a few tips that might help you create your fantasy team for the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia

Sri Lanka will take on Australia in the first Test of the two-match series at the Galle International Stadium, which will get underway from Wednesday (June 29). The last time Australia played a Test series in Sri Lanka, they lost all three encounters by big margins, but things have changed since then. Sri Lanka have won only eight of their last 19 Tests at home and lost 10, while Australia are still unbeaten under Pat Cummins’ leadership and will be high on confidence after winning a series in Pakistan.  

Ground details

The Galle International Stadium has been the most spin-friendly venue since 2018. There are 14 stadiums that have hosted five or more Tests in this period and spinners here have the best average (27) and strike rate (55). They have bowled 76.1% of the total overs and scalped 79.1% of total wickets in this time period. Hence, it would be ideal to have as many spinners as possible in your team. When it comes to batting, there are way too many options.

Suggested team

While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.

Captain and Vice-captain suggestions

For Small leagues: Usman Khawaja (c), Dhananjaya de Silva (vc)

For Grand leagues: Angelo Mathews (c), Mitchell Starc (vc)

Stats that matter

Usman Khawaja has been phenomenal ever since making his return to the Australian Test set-up. The left-handed opener has amassed 751 runs in his last five Tests at an average of 125.17. He has four centuries and two fifties in his last nine innings.

Since 2019 in Sri Lanka, Dhananjaya de Silva has slammed 557 runs in 11 innings at an average of 61.89. He has one fifty and three hundreds to his name. On top of that, he could also fetch you points with his offspin.

Steve Smith has played 16 Tests in Asia and has scored 1426 runs at an average of 49.17, studded with eight half-centuries and four tons. 

Grand League punts

Angelo Mathews is averaging close to 60 with the bat since 2020. In fact, no other batter has a better average and balls per dismissal (134.2) than Mathews in this period (minimum 20 innings). 

The last time Mitchell Starc played Test cricket in Sri Lanka, the left-arm paceman claimed 24 wickets in three games at an average of 15.2 and a strike rate of 25.8.

Probable XIs

Sri Lanka - Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Lasith Embuldeniya, Praveen Jayawickrama/Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando/Kasun Rajitha.

Australia - David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head (subject to fitness)/Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc/Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson/Jon Holland (subject to fitness).

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