Australia lost their last 5 wickets for just 19 runs thanks to some brilliance from Chamika Karunaratne with the ball and in the field, as Sri Lanka managed to defend 216 in the 2nd ODI in Pallekelle.
A frantic final half hour saw Sri Lanka pull yet another rabbit out of the hat to defend what looked like a below-par total.
Karunaratne proved to be the catalyst in the game, starting the Australian ‘perahera’, by dismissing the dangerous Glenn Maxwell with 51 to get with just over 15 overs remaining.
He ran Alex Carey out in the same over and when 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage grabbed a brilliant catch in the deep to remove Pat Cummins, Sri Lanka were well and truly in the driving seat.
The incredible crowd in Pallekelle also got in on the act, playing the 12th man almost for the hosts as Karunaratne and Dushmantha Chameera made short work of The Australian tail.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka started off with far more intent in this game than what we saw in the series opener, but regular wickets and the inability to keep the scoreboard ticking over saw them struggle to score at a decent rate.
The surface, a fresh one for this game, did provide significantly more for the spinners and the Australian pacies too were quick to throw in the slower balls and cutters.
Cummins bowled with good pace but also used his slower bouncer to good effect, getting both Danushka Gunathilake and Dhananjaya de Silva to the delivery. His other two victims, Dunith Wellalage and Jeffery Vandersay were done for pace.
Glenn Maxwell continued to be a thorn in Sri Lanka’s flesh, this time with the ball, going ta a measly 3.5 runs an over and picking up Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis in quick succession.
None of Sri Lanka’s batters really looked comfortable in the middle, except perhaps Shanaka, who struck 34 off 36.
Wellalage had a nervy start in the first innings of his international career, struggling on 4 off 21 and the pressure building on the batters saw to the end of Shanaka’s knock as he went for a big shot against the spin of Mitchell Swepson.
His dismissal spelt the end of Sri Lanka’s hopes of getting to what one would have thought would be a formidable total. The rain came down with Sri Lanka on 220/9 off 47.4 overs and the resumption saw Australia set 216 off 43 overs.
Earlier in the day, both teams were forced into making changes to their respective sides that played the 1st ODI, with Wanindu Hasaranga (groin), Marcus Stoinis (side) and Ashton Agar (side) being ruled out due to injury.
Leg spinner Vandersay replaced Hasaranga in Sri Lanka’s playing XI, while Travis Head, Mitchell Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann (on debut) come into the visitors’ side to replace Stoinis, Agar and Jhye Richardson.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhanushka Gunathilake | c matthew kuhemann b Pat Cummins | 18 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Pathum Nissanka | c alex carey b matthew kuhemann | 14 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 82.35 |
| Kusal Mendis | c & b Glenn Maxwell | 36 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 87.80 |
| dhananjaya de silva | c alex carey b Pat Cummins | 34 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 82.93 |
| Charith Asalanka | c matthew kuhemann b Glenn Maxwell | 13 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 48.15 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Glenn Maxwell b Mitchell Swepson | 34 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 109.68 |
| Chamika Karunaratne | c Pat Cummins b matthew kuhemann | 18 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 105.88 |
| Dunith Wellalage | b Pat Cummins | 20 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 57.14 |
| Jeffery Vandersay | c alex carey b Pat Cummins | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 70.00 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | not out | 7 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 38.89 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | not out | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Extras | 8 (b 0 , lb 5 , nb 0, w 3, pen 0) |
| Total | 220/9 (47.4 Overs, RR: 4.62) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hazlewood, | 7 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 3.71 | |
| matthew kuhemann | 10 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 4.80 | |
| Glenn Maxwell | 10 | 2 | 35 | 2 | 3.50 | |
| Pat Cummins | 8.4 | 0 | 35 | 4 | 4.17 | |
| Mitchell Swepson | 10 | 0 | 58 | 1 | 5.80 | |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 6.50 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner | b dhananjaya de silva | 37 | 51 | 5 | 0 | 72.55 |
| Aaron Finch | lbw b dhananjaya de silva | 14 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 93.33 |
| Steve Smith | c Maheesh Theekshana b Chamika Karunaratne | 28 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 80.00 |
| travis head | c Charith Asalanka b Dunith Wellalage | 23 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 67.65 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | c Dasun Shanaka b Dunith Wellalage | 18 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| alex carey | run out () | 15 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Glenn Maxwell | c Dasun Shanaka b Chamika Karunaratne | 30 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Pat Cummins | c Dunith Wellalage b Dushmantha Chameera | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Mitchell Swepson | b Chamika Karunaratne | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| matthew kuhemann | b Dushmantha Chameera | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Josh Hazlewood, | not out | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Extras | 13 (b 0 , lb 5 , nb 0, w 8, pen 0) |
| Total | 189/10 (37.1 Overs, RR: 5.09) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dushmantha Chameera | 6.1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 3.11 | |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 8 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 5.50 | |
| dhananjaya de silva | 6 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 4.33 | |
| Jeffery Vandersay | 5 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 4.60 | |
| Chamika Karunaratne | 7 | 0 | 47 | 3 | 6.71 | |
| Dunith Wellalage | 5 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 5.00 | |
