Sri Lanka v Australia, ODI series: 5 players to watch out for

The much anticipated ODI series between Sri Lanka and Australia is all set and ready to get underway at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. While a massive Lankan crowd is on the cards, it is clear that the one thing that many expect to happen will be the individual performances of a few select players. That said, here are five players to watch out for in the upcoming series. Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan. (Photo by Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) For Tillakaratne Dilshan, this could very well be his swansong year. At 39, Dilshan may well be playing his final series given the fact that this will be played in Sri Lanka as well as it is against one of the better teams in world cricket. The crux of Dilshan’s batting has been one of aggression and strokeplay. While he has missed the tour of England previously, he will be an automatic selection in the squad ahead of a few youngsters who are raring to make a mark on the international stage. Although the past couple of years has seen somewhat of a subdued Dilshan, the Sri Lankan crowd will be hoping to see a rejuvenated 39-year old who will potentially be playing his final series in international cricket. Also read – Misbah-ul-Haq is a father-figure to the players: Nasser Hussain Adam Zampa Australian bowler Adam Zampa. (Photo by ANESH DEBIKY/AFP/Getty Images) 23-year old Adam Zampa is quite clearly the next big thing as far as Australian cricket is concerned. While his leg-spin is something that most look forward to, the spotlight will be on him to make an impact on pitches that turn as much as he perhaps wants. Moreover, Zampa has been in fine form in limited=overs’ cricket as his ability to control the leg-spin that he does indeed bowl is something that most certainly look forward to. He will be expected to partner Nathan Lyon whilst bowling on a turning track. That said, Zampa will also be hoping that he will be able to grab the opportunity to get in the wickets column and add to his tally of international wickets. The opportunity literally will present itself as Zampa will be allowed to thrive on the turning track. Also check out – Watch: Ravi Ashwin is inspired by PV Sindhu Steve Smith Australian cricket team captain Steven Smith plays a shot. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) The Australian skipper will be expected to bat and bowl like a man possessed. For him, the current tour has been a total disaster and one setback after another. Having lost the top spot in the world ranking, Smith will be hoping that he can raise the confidence and morale with a win in the ODI series. Smith, however, was one of the better batsmen for Australia in the Test series. If one takes a wider look at the numbers, they will see a supremely consistent batsman who was perhaps not supported enough by his teammates in the Tests. That said, Steve Smith will be hoping that he can bring in his form the Tests into the ODIs and also lead the way as far as the batting unit is concerned. In a nutshell, his job will quite effectively be to redeem a crestfallen Australia side. Kusal Mendis Sri Lanka’s cricketer Kusal Mendis. (Photo by ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Although the 21-year old Kusal Mendis became somewhat subdued in the final few matches of the SL v AUS Test series, his 176 in the first Test quite literally set the tone for the rest of the series from a Sri Lankan perspective. The 21-year old, however, will now focus his attention towards the ODI side, a format of cricket where he has not really had much success in the past and will be hoping to capitalize on the opportunity that he has on hand at the moment. Sri Lankan coach Graham Ford has also gone as far as saying that Mendis is perhaps the only cricketer in the Sri Lankan lineup who boats of some sort of batting technique. However, whether Ford’s prophecy come true or not remains to be seen. Also read – Mohammad Azharuddin’s valuable tips for Virat Kohli to counter swing Mitchell Starc Mitchell Starc – 20 wickets in 7 matches, best of 6/28 (Photo Source:AFP) While the spinners were adding to their wickets collection by the minute, Starc was perhaps the only bowler who got in excess of 20 wickets with his sheer pace, swing, and most importantly, his perseverance with the new ball. The 26-year old now will be looking to get his wayward ODI career back on track. In spite of impressing in the West Indies Tri-Nation series earlier this year, Starc will be aiming to go higher up the rankings in the ODIs as well.

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