Head, Maxwell return for second ODI as Sri Lanka bat

Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat first against Australia in the second game of a two-match one-day series at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium.

Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell return for Friday’s match among five changes to strengthen a severely weakened Australian side that lost the opening match on Wednesday by 49 runs. 

Head was rested from the first match, while Maxwell had been ill.

Marnus Labuschagne has been left out along with top-scorer for Australia in the first match, Alex Carey, who has made way for fellow wicketkeeper Josh Inglis. He missed the first match recovering from back spasms he experienced in the second Test.

Left-arm paceman Ben Dwarshuis and leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha replace Spencer Johnson and Cooper Connelly.  

A second-string pace attack of Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Dwarshuis and Johnson are covering for captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who flew home after the recent second Test for personal reasons.

Cummins (ankle and paternity leave), Hazlewood (calf injury) and Starc (personal reasons) will also miss the rapidly approaching Champions Trophy, along with Mitchell Marsh (back) and Marcus Stoinis (retired).

TEAMS

AUSTRALIA: Short, Head, Fraser-McGurk, Smith, Inglis, Hardie, Maxwell, Abbott, Dwarshuis, Zampa, Sangha 

SRI LANKA: Nissanka, Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Asalanka, Liyanage, Wellalage, Hasaranga, Theekshana, Malinga, Fernando

Source: AAP
--Agencies