Watch: Sri Lankan crowd hails Australian team, thanks the tourists for visiting the nation amid tough times
The Sri Lankan crowd provided the Australian cricket team with a grand reception after the fifth ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, June 24. Despite the tourists picking up a win in the final match of the five-game series, the home crowd showed their gratitude.
Plenty of people within the stadium donned yellow t-shirts and carried placards that said, "Thank you, Australia."
Sri Lanka, a nation undergoing an economic crisis, have been quite thankful to Australia for visiting them to play cricket. As a result, the spectators were at their feet, applauding the tourists for fulfilling the tour amid doubts regarding it. The stadium was also filled with posters thanking the visitors.
Here's a clip of the reception the Aussies got:
#SLvAUSHard to recall a visiting team getting a reception quite like the Aussies have today. Sensational stuff 🇱🇰 #SLvAUS https://t.co/9fcn6AJ6Jj
Sri Lanka's performances in the white-ball series also gave them plenty to cheer about. After a 10-wicket drubbing in the first T20 international, the home side have only bettered themselves as the tour proceeded. Dasun Shanaka's men bounced back from a two-wicket loss in the opening one-day international to win the next three games to clinch the ODI series.
The tendency to fight back every time Australia tried to keep them down was their hallmark of the series.
Alex Carey scores a patient 45 to fashion Australia's four-wicket win in fifth ODI
Meanwhile, the Aussies eked out a four-wicket victory in the fifth ODI at Colombo, chasing down a tricky 161 with four wickets and 63 balls to spare.
After electing to bat, Sri Lanka managed only 160, thanks largely to Chamika Karunaratne's run-a-ball 75. At one point, the hosts slumped to 62-7; however, the speedster's innings gave them something to bowl at.
Australia's bowlers were great and then the lower order, especially Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne, finished the job #SLvAUS
Nevertheless, the visitors also had trouble chasing a modest score, sliding to 19-3. However, Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green played useful hands to steer their side to victory. Carey and Labuschagne shared a partnership of 51, while the gloveman added 43 with Green in only 45 deliveries.