Tag: #AUS VS SL

Sri Lanka avoid Ignominy in the 5th T20I Match

Sri Lanka edge past Australia in a nerve wrecking thriller at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Sri Lanka won the game by 7 wickets with 1 ball left. Australia would rue that they missed out on a white-wash. Sri Lanka would be booming with confidence as their next assignment against a dangerous India which is about to start on 24th February. Australia on the other hand is all set for a historic Pakistan Tour starting from 4th March. The crowd at MCG witnessed one of a thrilling encounters where finally Sri Lanka got the better of Australia after 4 attempts.

Australia had won the toss & elected to bat. Australia managed a challenging total of 155 runs for Sri Lanka. Challenging in the sense the pitch was a bit uneven. Sri Lanka had a productive power-play as they scored 54 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. This time Kusal Mendis took the responsibility of taking the team out of trouble. Sri Lanka required 84 runs in last 11 overs with 6 wickets in tank.

The onus was on the Captain Dasun Shanaka & Kusal Mendis. Both the batters played smartly as they were taking calculative risks. The Captain Aaron Finch tried every trick in the book but both the batters didn’t allow the pressure to get the better of them. Kusal Mendis struck a defining knock of 69 runs in 58 balls. He along with Shanaka made sure that required run rate was not getting out of reach. Getting out of the reach in the sense not beyond 10.

SNAPSHOT: Kusal Mendis waiving his bat after scoring a well-constructed knock of half century.

In the last 2 overs Sri Lanka required 20 runs to win. Kusal Mendis showcased his batting prowess as he played wittily against the foxy Jhye Richardson. In the last over Sri Lanka required 9 runs. It was high time that Sri Lanka win as losing from here would be a huge embarrassment. Skipper Dasun Shanka smacked a gigantic six & levelled the scores. The way skipper smacked the ball was absolutely a treat to watch. Sri Lanka lost skipper in the next ball & then the all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne finished off the game.

Ashton Agar continued his dream run. He was the pick of the bowlers as he took 1 wicket & gave away 19 runs in 4 overs spell. Kane Richardson was the only bowler who got wickets.  He took 2 wickets & gave away 28 runs in his 3.4 overs (* he went out of the field due to hamstring problem). Australia would be happy that they have a back-up bowling unit who can irk any batting line up.

SNAPSHOT: Ashton Agar the crafty off spinner keeping the batters guessing through his variations.

After electing to bat first once again Australia had a poor power-play as they scored 22 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in power-play overs. Australia’s batters were facing times as Sri Lanka’s bowlers bamboozled them through shrewd variations. The likes of Josh Inglis & Glenn Maxwell tried to resurrect the innings. Both the batters managed to scored 20 odd runs. At the end of 10 over mark Australia’s score was 58 runs for the loss of 3 wickets.

Finally, the wicket-keeper batter Matthew Wade had runs under his belt. He played a terrific knock of 43 runs in 27 balls. His contribution helped Australia to post a competitive score of 154 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.

SNAPSHOT: Matthew Wade smashing the bowler all-around the park & scoring a breezy cameo.

Lahiru Kumara & Dushmantha Chameera took 2 wickets each. The entire bowling unit of Sri Lanka made sure that they don’t let Aussie batters get away. Sri Lanka’s pace department made sure that they don’t spoil the hard work of spinners.

Mitchell Starc & David Warner Pulverised Sri Lanka as Australia registered 2 wins out of 2

Australia handed a massive defeat to Sri Lanka by clinching the match by 7 wickets with 3 overs remaining as the target was of 155 runs ; match was played at Dubai on the 28th October. Australia who came into this tournament as a dark horse are showing & playing like the “AUSTRALIA” of 1990s & 2000s as it is often said Aussies know how to win ICC Tournaments (* Australia have never ever won a ICC World T20 World Cup). Closing the match has given a boost of NRR to Australia which is +0.727.

Australia vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup 2021 Highlights: David Warner shines, Australia beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets | Hindustan Times
SNAPSHOT: Aaron Finch & David Warner guided the run chase..

Australia had won the toss & put Sri Lanka to bat. While chasing the target of 155 runs Aaron Finch & David Warner toyed with Sri Lanka’s bowlers; especially in the 4th over when Lahiru Kumara came into the attack as both of them whacked him all around the park & scored 20 runs off his over. At the end of 4 overs Australia scored 43 runs & just when opportunity knocked the door for Sri Lanka; Kusal Perera the wicket-keeper dropped a dolly on the bowling off Dushmantha Chameera which was the 5th over & gave a life to Warner who was on 18 runs. At the end of the power-play overs Australia cruised to 63 runs unscathed.

Wanindu Hasaranga struck two quick wickets which were of Finch & Glenn Maxwell as Australia surprisingly promoted him to No.3. Finch made the most of his form & momentum as he played a dashing knock of 37 runs in 23 balls. At the time of Maxwell’s dismissal Australia required 77 runs in 69 balls as Sri Lanka sensed that they can perturb Australia but Warner along with the unorthodox Steven Smith decided their roles.

Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates Aaron Finch's wicket
SNAPSHOT: Wanindu Hasaranga celebrating after taking a wicket

Warner silenced all the white noise & criticism regarding his form by scoring 65 runs in 42 balls which included 10 fours as Warner played maturely as in his batting there were Shades of the old Warner of Red Ball & White Ball player/batter. Smith played a calm & composed inning of 28 runs in 26 balls as he gave appropriate respect to each & every ball. The finishing duties were completed by the flamboyant all-rounder Marcus Stoinis who played a quick cameo of 16 runs in 7 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga was the only pick of the bowlers who took wickets as well as controlled the flow of runs as he gave away 22 runs.

David Warner raises his half-century
SNAPSHOT: David Warner raising his bat after scoring a half-century

Asked to bat first Sri Lanka were off to a rollicking start as they scored 53 runs in the power-play overs for the loss of 1 wicket which was of Pathum Nissanka. Kusal Perera & Charith Aslanka were audacious as they didn’t feared to take on the likes of Starc, Hazlewood & Cummins. Before the drinks break Adam Zampa broke the partnership of Aslanka & Perera as he prised out Asalanka for 35 runs. After the drinks break (10th over) Mitchell Starc bowled a fiery yorker to Kusal Perera to castle his off stump as before that delivery Perera had hit him for a gigantic six at long on; Starc may have taken that six on his ego & made sure that Australia see the back of Kusal Perera. Kusal Perera scored 35 runs in 25 balls & he was looking ominous . Sri Lanka were 86 runs for 3 wickets in 10.3 overs & after that Australia reduced Sri Lanka to 95 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 13 overs.

Mitchell Starc bowled Kusal Perera with a searing yorker
SNAPSHOT: Mitchell Starc clean bowled Kusal Perera

Aaron Finch played a master-stroke by giving 2 overs to Starc in the middle phase which resulted in the scalps of Kusal & Hasranaga. Bhanuka Rajapakse & skipper Dasun Shanaka tried to avoid a collapse but in doing so Shanaka ated a lot of balls as he scored 12 runs in 19 balls whereas Rajapakse scored 33 runs in 26 balls & took Sri Lanka’s total to 154 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Adam Zampa is proving to be the lethal weapon as he not only took 2 wickets but gave away only 17 runs in his 4 overs.

Adam Zampa ended a fifty stand with Charith Asalanka's wicket, Australia vs Sri Lanka, 2021 Men's T20 World Cup, Dubai, October 28, 2021
SNAPSHOT: Adam Zampa in the centre (without cap) congratulated for bowling economical & productive spell

Sri Lanka should not put the entire blame on the dropped catch by Kusal Perera as it is a part & parcel of the game. Sri Lanka errored by picking up only 2 frontline spinners giving the vulnerability of Australian batters. Sri Lanka should not weep about this loss as they still can make it Semis given the nature of the wickets. Sri Lanka’s next match is scheduled against South Africa on 30th October where both the teams have won & lost 1. Recently both Sri Lanka & South Africa played a bilateral 3 T20I Match Series in September 2021 in Sri Lanka in which South Africa had white-washed them; since then a lot has changed given the form of Sri Lanka now has where they defeated Namibia, Ireland Netherlands’ as they were the table-toppers of Qualifiers & they also tasted success against Bangladesh in Group Stage.

Australia would be enthralled by such a puissant performance where there were instances of panicking but they didn’t let the situation take a hold on them. Australia’s next match is against England on 30th October as both the teams are yet to be defeated. England vs Australia Match winner will most probably & definitely book a Semi- Final berth. Australia would be wary of the the style of Cricket which England plays as both Australia & England can take this match as a dress-rehearsal for the finale.