October 5 at T20 World Cup: Australia favored against Sri Lanka; spin-reliant England face Bangladesh.

Australia vs Sri Lanka

Australia squad:
Alyssa Healy (captain & wicketkeeper), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck

Sri Lanka squad:
Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wicketkeeper), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika Kumari

Tournament Form Guide:
After warm-up victories against Bangladesh and Scotland, Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka faced a setback, losing their tournament opener to Pakistan in Sharjah. Meanwhile, Australia continued their dominance, securing wins against England and West Indies in their warm-up matches after batting first in both games.

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News Brief:
Sri Lanka finds themselves in a tricky situation after their disappointing loss to lower-ranked Pakistan, where they managed only 85 for 9 while chasing a modest target of 117. They now face Australia in another day game in the intense Sharjah heat, similar to their opening match, so major changes to the team are unlikely. Sri Lanka will need to improve their fielding after dropping three crucial catches, which proved costly in their previous match. Australia might also favor a spin-heavy approach, as other teams did on the opening day, and they have the allrounders to support that strategy.

Australia has a perfect record against Sri Lanka in T20Is, with the last encounter ending in a ten-wicket defeat for Sri Lanka at the 2023 T20 World Cup. However, Australia will be wary of Chamari Athapaththu, as Alyssa Healy mentioned the team’s concern about being “Atha-ed” – a reference to being taken apart by the Sri Lankan captain.

Player to Watch:
Beth Mooney, the Player of the Tournament in the 2023 edition, has struggled with low scores in her recent T20I outings, failing to go beyond 15 in her last five innings. She did manage a half-century in the warm-up against England, but she’ll be looking to deliver a big performance in the main tournament, similar to her unbeaten 99* off 54 balls in The Hundred for Manchester Originals. A strong partnership with Healy at the top could quickly put Sri Lanka under pressure, whether batting first or chasing.

Bangladesh vs England
Sharjah, 6 PM local time

Bangladesh squad:
Nigar Sultana (captain & wicketkeeper), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas

England squad:
Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wicketkeeper), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt

Tournament Form Guide:
Bangladesh started their World Cup campaign on a high with a 16-run win against Scotland, after also defeating Pakistan in the warm-ups. England, on the other hand, lost their first warm-up match to Australia by 33 runs but bounced back with a five-wicket victory over New Zealand.

News Brief:
Bangladesh now face a tougher challenge against England, who are more aggressive than their 2023 squad and have packed their team with spinners. England has a fully fit roster, with left-arm spinner Linsey Smith returning alongside Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, and Alice Capsey, who can provide useful part-time offbreaks. England is likely to play three frontline spinners on a pitch that has already shown turn and minimal bounce.

Bangladesh struggled to 119 for 7 against Scotland, and putting up a bigger or faster score against England will be more difficult. Bangladesh’s fielding was subpar in their opener, with four dropped catches, and they will need to improve significantly to stand a chance of defeating England for the first time in women’s T20Is. Although this is an evening game, dew is not expected to play a significant role, unlike in Dubai, which may explain why Pakistan chose to bat first in Sharjah’s evening match on Thursday.

Player to Watch:
While Sophie Ecclestone remains England’s top spinner, keep an eye on legspinner Sarah Glenn. Since the 2023 T20 World Cup, she has been England’s second-highest wicket-taker with 26 wickets, just behind Ecclestone’s 29. However, Glenn has maintained a better economy rate of 5.27 compared to Ecclestone’s 6.25. At only 25 years old, this will be Glenn’s third T20 World Cup, and she also offers valuable contributions with the bat lower down the order.

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