Sri Lanka will take on Australia in the first Test of the two-match series in Galle tomorrow (January 29) - Here's what the Betfair odds for the match are.
SL vs AUS 1st Test: Who will score the most runs?
For the last series of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship, Sri Lanka ar set to host Australia. While the finalists – Australia and South Africa – are already confirmed, the two Tests are more than just a dead rubber. The tourists have an opportunity to fine-tune their balance taking inspiration from their 1-1 result from the last time they toured the country in 2022. Though unlikely, Australia can still miss out on the summit clash due to an over-rate penalty.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka at one stage were well and truly in contention for the final but a 0-2 drubbing in South Africa put their chances hanging by a thread and India’s defeat in the Sydney Test was the final nail in their coffin. A 2-0 win would help them gain two places on the points table to finish as the third-best side.
Kamindu Mendis, promoted to bat up the order after his rapid start to his Test career, continues to climb several charts. He is backed on the Betfair Exchange at 4.0 to top-score. Pathum Nissaka, who finished last year as the second-highest run-getter in men’s ODIs is also a decent bet at 5.0. After not being a regular in the Test format, he steered Sri Lanka to a historic victory at The Oval last year with a brilliant fourth-innings century, indicating his white-ball exploits could finally translate in the longest format.
A prolific run-scorer, who scored 1451 runs across formats at an average of just above 50 💥
— ICC (@ICC) January 26, 2025
Sri Lanka's star on the rise has taken out the ICC Emerging Men's Cricketer of the Year Award 🇱🇰 pic.twitter.com/qIrRy5Kpif
Australia boast of a well-rounded batting order, led by stand-in captain Steve Smith, backed at 3.2 to top score for his side. Having struggled initially in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy, Smith roared back to form with a match-winning century after resorting to his familiar back-and-across stance. Travis Head, who is set to open in the first Test alongside Usman Khawaja is tipped on the Betfair Exchange at 3.5.
SA vs AUS 1st Test: Who will be the Player of the Match?
Betfair picks Prabath Jayasuriya as the favourite to be the Player of the Match in the first match of the series with odds of 7/1. Jayasuriya became the joint second-fastest and the fastest Sri Lankan bowler to reach 100 Test wickets.
Jayasuriya’s counterpart Nathan Lyon also offers decent returns, having odds of 10/1 to win the Player of the Match in the first Test.
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