Sri Lanka vs Australia, 3rd ODI: 3 takeaways from the hosts' victory
Sri Lanka beat Australia by six wickets in the third ODI at the Ravindra Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday to go 2-1 up in the series. This is the first time in 20 years that Sri Lanka have won two consecutive ODIs against Australia.
Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. They scored 291/6 in the stipulated 50 overs. Travis Head top-scored with an unbeaten 70 while skipper Aaron Finch made 62. Alex Carey made 49 and Glenn Maxwell scored a whirlwind 33 off 18 balls. For the hosts, Jeffrey Vandersay returned with figures of 3 for 49.
In response, Sri Lanka reached the target with nine balls to spare. Man of the Match Pathum Nissanka made a brilliant 137 and Kusal Mendis retired hurt after making 87. Jhye Richardson took two wickets for 39 runs for the visitors.
We would take a look at three things that stood out in the match.
#1 Australia needed a late surge to post a formidable total
The visitors lost their first wicket on 14 when David Warner was caught in deep fine-leg while trying to hook a short-pitched delivery from Dushmantha Chameera. Finch kept scoring runs at one end but Australia continued to lose wickets at the other.
The Sri Lankan spin duo of Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage got a fair amount of turn from the wicket and returned with the wickets of Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne and then Finch.
Australia were struggling at 121/4 when Finch departed, but the lower middle-order played exceedingly well. Carey, Head and Maxwell hit a number of big sixes to take the attack to the Sri Lankans.
Head hit three sixes in a single over as the visitors scored a whopping 98 runs off the last 10 overs. The score looked formidable on the big ground at the R. Premadasa Stadium as the Lankans faced an uphill task at the break.
#2 Sri Lanka got off to a good start thanks to Niroshan Dickwella's efforts
The hosts decided to open with Pathum Nissanka and wicketkeeper Dickwella and the latter did not disappoint the team management. He played a few pull shots to deep mid-wicket boundaries to put the Australian pacers under pressure.
Finch decided to replace Josh Hazlewood with the off-spin of Glenn Maxwell and the move paid off. Dickwella fell to an arm-ball from Maxwell with the score at 42 in the eighth over. There was a big gap between the bat and pad of the Lankan wicketkeeper.
The Lankans, though, had gained some momentum by then and went on to capitalize on Dickwella's innings.
#3 Nissanka and Mendis combined to take the hosts to victory as Australia’s part-time bowlers leaked runs
Nissanka and Kusal Mendis had a great partnership for the second wicket, which paved the way for a Sri Lankan victory. Nissanka, who made a sedate start to the innings, accelerated as the innings progressed. He kept playing the slog sweep to good effect against the Australian spinners and was particularly prolific on the leg side.
Mendis, meanwhile, played some glorious cuts and off-drives. Both the batters used the depth of the crease well to punish the short deliveries bowled by the Australian spinners.
Mendis retired hurt on 87 and Nissanka went on to reach his ton as the two added 170 runs for the second wicket. Nissanka then ensured victory for the home side along with Dhananjaya De Silva and Charith Asalanka.
A record-breaking partnership from Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis!
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Full match highlights: youtu.be/XWLbnaZiWrE
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For the Australians, only Richardson could bowl with a controlled line and length and end up with respectable figures. Maxwell, Labuschagne and Head went for 102 runs between them in only 15 overs as the Lankan duo punished the part-time spinners at regular intervals.