Starc omitted as Aussies bat first against Sri Lanka

Kane Richardson will play his first international game in nearly a year after earning a recall to Australia's T20I team at the expense of Mitchell Starc for the second match of their Dettol series against Sri Lanka at the SCG.

Visiting captain Dasun Shanaka won his second toss in three days and again elected to bowl first but, unlike Friday's series opener that Australia won comfortably, no rain is forecast for the clash at the SCG.

Nuwan Thushara, a slinging paceman dubbed ‘Podi Malinga’ (little Malinga) after Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, will be unleashed by the tourists with Binura Fernando reportedly contracting COVID-19.

The Sri Lankans remain without Kusal Mendis due to the virus.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Ben McDermott, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Sri Lanka XI: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thusara

Richardson was expected to play a key role for Australia during their T20 World Cup campaign last year but Josh Hazlewood's emergence as one of the world's most in-demand short-form quicks meant he rode the bench.

His most recent game for Australia came in New Zealand last March.

Starc has conceded 0-101 from his last two T20Is (he went for 41 on Friday and 60 in the World Cup final back in November) but has undoubtedly earnt some leeway as one of Australia's greatest ever white-ball quicks.

It could be a big weekend for Richardson, who turned 31 yesterday and could go under the hammer during the ongoing Indian Premier League auction while the T20 against Sri Lanka is being played.

Ben McDermott, who struck a maiden international fifty on Friday, is the other Australian picked for tonight’s clash whose name has yet to be read out in Bengaluru.

Finch, Steve Smith, Adam Zampa and Matthew Wade remain up for grabs after initially failing to attract bids. 

At A$1.44m, Hazlewood has been the most expensive Australian purchased and he underlined his class in the first T20I with a suffocating spell of 4-12 from four overs.

Sri Lanka had restricted Australia to a chaseable 9-149 but the pace and bounce of the hosts' pace attack, led by Hazlewood, proved too much to handle.

"Time on task is an amazing thing and the opportunity for him to play T20 cricket has come, there's been gaps with limited Test tours overseas," interim coach Andrew McDonald said of Hazlewood, who the IPL title with Chennai Super Kings last year.

"The IPL exposure plus not as many Test matches has given him the opportunity to play T20 games for Australia.

"If you give a highly skilled bowled a chance in the format, he'll work it out. He's got knuckle balls and his stock ball is very hard to hit off a length. There's a lot of skills you like as a T20 coach."

Dettol T20 Series v Sri Lanka 2022

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head*, Moises Henriques, Josh Inglis, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa * unavailable for first three matches

Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara, Ramesh Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Shiran Fernando

Game 1: Australia won by 20 runs (DLS)

February 13: Second T20, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

February 15: Third T20, Manuka Oval, 7.10pm AEDT

February 18: Fourth T20, MCG, 7.10pm AEDT

February 20: Fifth T20, MCG, 5.10pm AEDT

All matches broadcast exclusively on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports. Radio coverage by ABC Grandstand, Triple M and SEN