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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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