Australia vs Sri Lanka 2017: 3rd T20I, 5 talking points
Australia secured the dead rubber at Adelaide as Sri Lanka won the three-match T20 series 2-1. Helped by half-centuries from openers, Aaron Finch and Michael Klinger, Australia piled up 187 on the board.
Travis Head and Ben Dunk joined the fun and added quick fire 30s to propel the scoring rate towards the end of the innings. Dilshan Munaweera, opening in place of the suspended Nirosha Dickwella slammed a quick fire 37 before Travis Head's friendly off-spin dismissed him.
Sri Lanka could never climb back into the match from there as Adam Zampa and James Faulkner kept pinning them down with wickets at regular intervals. They were bowled out for 146 in the 18th over as Australia won the game by 41 runs.
Brief Scores: Australia 187/6 in 20 overs(Klinger 62, Finch 53, Shanaka 2/27) beat Sri Lanka 146/10 in 18 overs (Munaweera 37, Zampa 3/25, Faulkner 3/20)
Have a glance at the talking points from the final T20 at Adelaide.
#5 Finch makes most of reprieve
Aaron Finch is not someone you drop early on in the innings. But that is exactly what Munaweera did off the first over of the day from Lasith Malinga. Finch flicked the Lankan bowler straight to Munaweera at square leg who dropped a sitter.
Relishing the reprieve, Finch smoked Kulasekara for a six over long-on off the first ball of the next over. Two fours followed in his next over but it was Seekkuge Prasanna's friendly leg spin that he absolutely creamed. He smashed the leggie for a four and a six to race past his 30s.
Boundaries kept flowing from Finch's bat as Australia made 78 in 8 overs. However, the T20 skipper miscued Prasanna to Siriwardana at long-off in the ninth over as Australia lost their first wicket at 79.