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That will be all from the fourth ODI between Australia and Sri Lanka. The hosts have won their first bilateral series against Australia since 2010 and this will boost their morale significantly. We still aren't done with the ODIs yet as the two sides lock horns in the white-ball format for one last time on the 24th. Do tune in for the final ODI and all the other live cricketing action on Sportskeeda. Till then, this is Raghav and Pradeep signing off.
Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: I did not have any pressure in the final over, especially after Chamika bowled that penultimate over. There was a discussion about giving the final over to the spinner but I feel it was the right thing to do, bowling a pacer. I think the score was defendable and we did well to defend this score. The partnership between Asalanka and DDS was decisive and they ensured that we got ourselves to a competitive total.
Aaron Finch, Australia captain: Yeah, I think the series has gone the same way. We have been losing wickets at the crucial times when the batters have gotten themselves off to a start. I think bowling first wasn't a wrong decision. The total was gettable and we got so close. If one of those partnerships could've gone a bit deeper then the story would've been different. We still have got something to salvage in the final game.
Charith Asalanka has been adjudged the Player of the match for his splendid century that setup this win!
Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka): It was tough against the mighty Australian bowling attack after having lost three early wickets. I want to mention about Dhananjaya de Silva, he played fearless cricket which allowed me to play my natural game and played long as well. It was similar to the last game, later in the inning the only change was the surface supported a lot of turn. Plan was to bat till 40th over, then we will take from there and we were targeting a score over 250.
Australia are all out for 254 in 50 overs
David Warner 99(112b) | Pat Cummins 35(43b) Chamika Karunaratne 2/19 (5 overs) | Dhananjaya de Silva 2/39 (10 overs)
What a win, what a win for Sri Lanka! They have successfully managed to defend yet another sub-par total in the series. The decision to field first has come back to bite the Aussies again as the pitch deteriorated enough for them to succumb eventually in the second innings.
After losing Finch early, Australia scored runs at a good pace. Warner stitched partnerships with Marsh, Labuschagne, Carey and Head but they all departed after adding 20 odd runs to the total. Warner on the other hand occupied the crease and kept scoring at a healthy strike rate to ensure that Australia would not have scoreboard pressure at any particular time.
However, Theekshana and de Silva getting rid of Maxwell, Head and Warner in a span of three overs turned the tie around for the hosts. The asking rate went from under 5 runs per over to a run a ball. Green and Cummins moved the scoreboard ahead and waited for the right time to take on the bowling attack but Green's dismissal came at the wrong time.
When 25 were needed off the final couple of overs, Cummins sensed that this was his best chance since he plays the faster bowlers much better. However, Karunaratne was incredible in the penultimate over to get rid of Cummins. Shanaka bowled the final over and Kuhnemann almost took away the game from him but the number 10 eventually fell apart in the final delivery of the match where 5 runs were required.
Sri Lanka win the match by 4 runs and take an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the series!
50
overs
254/10score
0
4
2
4
4
W
runs
Matthew Kuhnemann*
15(12)
Josh Hazlewood
0(1)
Dasun Shanaka
1/27
49.6 Dasun Shanaka to Matthew Kuhnemann, OUT! UP IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Sri Lanka win the match and take the series 3-1. Takes the pace off finally, back of a length on the outside off, Kuhnemann too early into the shot, skies it around cover region, the fielder settles under it and takes a superb catch. Sri Lanka win the series with still a game to go, but what a game of cricket we just witnessed!
Where was Kuhnemann all this while? It's all coming down to the final delivery, 5 runs are needed off the final delivery. Can Kuhnemann pull off the impossible? Shanaka is having a mini discussion with his players.
49.5 Dasun Shanaka to Matthew Kuhnemann, FOUR MORE! Kuhnemann, you beauty. Length delivery on the outside off, he crouches and slams it over the top of mid-off, goes to long-off fence for yet another boundary. 6 to win, 4 to tie!