Australia managed to defeat Sri Lanka by 2 wickets at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in their third ODI on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
George Bailey’s calm 70 off 99 deliveries ensured Australia safely got through a tricky run chase of 227 as Sri Lanka battled hard to defend a below par score which was set up thanks to a fighting century by Dinesh Chandimal in TM Dilshan’s final ODI.
Earlier after opting to bat first, Danushka Gunathilake chopped on onto the stumps off Mitchell Starc as Sri Lanka’s woeful tendency with opening partnerships continued. Kusal Mendis stroked a trademark, elegant cover-drive to the fence off Hazelwood in the first ball he faced but fell in the very next ball, caught at second slip as the hosts were restricted to 23 for 2.
Dilshan and Chandimal batted swiftly to resurrect the Lankan innings briefly adding 73 for the 3rd wicket before Dilshan’s ODI career was ended by Adam Zampa. The 39-year old pummeled a full toss straight to mid-wicket to end on 12090 runs from 330 matches.
Skipper Angelo Mathews was caught plumb in front by Zampa as the screws were tightened on the Sri Lankan run-flow. Dhananjaya De Silva made a slow 30-ball 12 before lobbing it to mid-on off James Faulkner as Shaun Marsh completed a brilliant diving catch.
Kusal Janith Perera, playing at his new position, no.7 could not make a much difference as he was rattled by an in-swinging Starc’s toe-crusher for 11. Both Thisara Perera and Seekkuge Prasanna fell in search of quick runs trying to up the scoring-rate, picking out deep mid-wicket on both occasions.
Chandimal was soon running out of partners when the score was 178 for 8. Dilruwan Perera chipped in with a valuable 20-run 17 down the order and contributed to the 39-run 9th wicket stand before Hastings picked up his 2nd scalp for the evening.
Photo Album – Sri Lanka vs Australia – 3rd ODI
Chandimal reached his personal milestone in the penultimate over before he holed to Zampa at long-on as the Lankan innings came to a close with 4 balls remaining.
In chase of 227 runs, David Warner and Aaron Finch started off briskly adding 31 runs for the first wicket before the former was caught superbly by that man, TM Dilshan at backward point off Mathews in the 5th over.
Finch took the charge to Amila Aponso with a couple of boundaries and a six as he raced to a 29-ball 30 before he was wrongly given LBW which he opted not to review the decision but afterwards the replays showed the ball was missing the stumps.
Shaun Marsh who came in place of Steven Smith did not last long as he uppishly drove to mid-off where Chandimal took a brilliant diving catch as Mathews picked up his 2nd scalp for the match to restrict the visitors for 44 for 3.
Travis Head and George Bailey kept Australia on track with a sensible 62-run partnership in 81 deliveries before the former was bowled by Dilruwan Perera for a well-constructed 36 off 48 balls with a slider which went on with the arm and the left-hander was in no position to play the cut.
Bailey was then joined by wicket-keeper batsman Matthew Wade as they posted 81 runs for 5th wicket which took the visitors almost over the victory line before Sri Lanka fought till the end taking three wickets inside three overs to keep Lankan hopes alive.
Bailey used his feet superbly to rotate the strike and reverse-swept the Lankan spinners which did not make life easy for the hosts spin barrage.
Wade was stumped by Kusal Perera off Seekkuge while Bailey completely played around a straighter delivery and got his stumps clattered. Faulkner swept straight to deep square leg off Aponso and Starc after smashing two vital sixes in the end holed out to deep long-on but it was too little too late for the home team.
