World Cup 2019, Australia vs Sri Lanka: 3 players who can win the game for Australia

Australia will take on Sri Lanka at Kennington Oval, London in the 20th match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2019 on Saturday.

Aaron Finch's men come into this game on the back of a win over Pakistan, which would have improved their confidence after the stumble against India. With three wins out of four games, the defending champions are No. 2 in the points table.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka haven't found their rhythm in this tournament so far and are placed at sixth position - with two points gained through rained out matches.

In light of the upcoming encounter, here is a look at three key players who can win the game for Australia.

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#1 David Warner

Warner smashed a brilliant hundred against Pakistan in the previous game.

David Warner has made a brilliant comeback to international cricket after a year-long ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal.

Warner was phenomenal in this year's IPL, winning the Orange Cap with 692 runs from 12 matches. And now he has continued his good form with the bat in the World Cup too.

He scored an unbeaten 89 against Afghanistan in the opening match. Against India too, he scored a half-century, though surprisingly at a slow rate.

Against Pakistan, he came out all guns blazing and scored a brilliant 107 which laid the foundation for a competitive total for Australia. He seemed back in his element and scored boundaries at ease, which is clearly not a good sign for the Sri Lankan bowlers.

In the upcoming encounter, Warner will play a crucial role for Australia. If his current form is any indication, he is going to come hard at the opposition. It is going to be a tough challenge for Malinga and Co to restrict the southpaw.

#2 Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins celebrating the wicket of Shoaib Malik.

Pat Cummins has been brilliant for Australia in white ball cricket over the last few months. He was instrumental in the series win against India, picking up 14 wickets in 5 matches at an astounding average of 15.71. In the World Cup too he is doing great and has scalped 9 wickets from 4 matches at an average of 18.78.

In the last game, Cummins starred with the ball to help Australia to a nervy win over Pakistan. He was brilliant with 3/33 off 10 overs, showing why he is Australia’s go-to bowling star as Aaron Finch’s side looked to defend an under-par 307.

Currently placed at No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings and No. 6 in ODIs, Cummins is a vital cog in the Australian bowling wheel. Along with Mitchell Starc, he can wreak havoc in the opposition ranks with the new ball in hand.

He will pose a major threat to the already under-fire Sri Lankan batsmen.

#3 Steven Smith

Steven Smith scored a brilliant century against England in the warm-up game

Unarguably one of the best batsmen in the present era, Steven Smith is always a threat to the opponents. Since his return after a year-long ban for the ball-tampering scandal, he has been in good form, scoring a flurry of runs for his team. He scored three consecutive half-centuries in the practice games followed by a superb 116 against England in one of the warm-up fixtures.

Smith played a crucial knock of 73 runs against West Indies which helped Australia put up a decent total of 288. At 38 for 4 Australia were struggling against the Windies pacers, but Smith took charge with Alex Carey and the duo helped Australia wade past choppy waters.

After Carey fell, Smith joined forces with Nathan Coulter-Nile who made a swashbuckling 92. Smith fell for 73 but by then had ensured a fighting total for his team.

Smith is the most reliable batsman in the Australian middle-order and the team has surely missed him over the last year. Now that he is back, he will have the responsibility to anchor the Australian innings in the middle overs.