This was the first time that Sri Lanka had defeated Australia in a five-match series. The fifth ODI is on Friday.
This was the first time that Sri Lanka had defeated Australia in a five-match series. The fifth ODI is on Friday.
Australia failed off the last ball of the fourth one-day international on Tuesday as Sri Lanka won by four runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
10 batsman Matthew Kuhneman (15) needed five runs for Australia to beat Sri Lanka outright and survive the five-match series, but was struck by skipper Dasun Shanaka (1-27) in R Premadasa in Colombo. Caught out. Stadium.
After Sri Lanka was bowled out for 258 in 49 overs, David Warner scored 99 to bowl Australia out for 254 after 50 overs. Charit Aslanka scored 110 runs in 106 balls and Dhananjay de Silva scored 60 runs in 61 runs for the hosts.
Sri Lanka had not beaten Australia in an ODI series since 2010, and that was in Australia. It was Sri Lanka’s first bilateral series win at home against Australia since 1992.
This was also the first time the hosts had defeated Australia in a five-match series.
Australia won the toss and made the bold decision to bowl first. The gamble almost paid off.
Australia needed 19 runs in the last over. Kühnemann scored five runs off the last ball with three fours, or four to tie. But the left-hander was deceived by a slow delivery from Shanaka, hit the ball straight into the air and Aslanka completed the catch at cover.
Australia captain Aaron Finch said, “Every time we looked to put on a partnership, we kept losing wickets. They took advantage of the opportunities. It was an achievable total. The run rate was under control but we lost wickets and it got out of our hands. Let it go. Had someone trapped David Warner for five more overs, it could have been a match-winning partnership.
The series is at stake, with the five-time world champion bringing on veteran Pat Cummins in place of Jhye Richardson. There was no Mitchell Starc for Australia though. The left-arm pacer hasn’t played a game since he injured his finger earlier in the series.
Sri Lanka also made a change, bringing in Wanindu Hasaranga (1-52) for pacer Dushmantha Chamira.
Australia were right on target and had the required run rate under control as Warner and Travis Head (27) put on 58 runs for the fifth wicket. Part-timer de Silva then dismissed both the batsmen in his successive overs.
In the next over Mahesh Dikshana (1-40) trapped the dangerous Glenn Maxwell (1) as de Silva came back for his final over and Warner was cleverly stumped by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Australia lost three wickets in eight balls in addition to three runs.
Warner was unlucky to be dismissed one run short of his 19th ODI century. The opener hasn’t scored an international century in more than two years across all formats.
Pat Cummins (35) from the lower order and then Kuhneman put up some resistance, keeping Australia’s chances alive till the last delivery.
De Silva scored 2-39 runs in his 10 overs to score his half-century during the Sri Lankan innings. The middle-order batsman hit seven fours before a brilliant catch by Glenn Maxwell. De Silva had put on 101 runs for the fourth wicket with Aslanka when Maxwell broke the partnership with a one-handed catch at mid-wicket.
Asalanka was a hero for Sri Lanka with his maiden century. He was associated with the team with de Silva in trouble at 34-3. The pair saved the innings and after de Silva was dismissed, Aslanka put on 57 runs for the sixth wicket with Dunith Velález (19).
“It was a tough question against a quality attack like this and we’re glad we got through it,” Aslanka said. “I didn’t run with us thrice in 10 overs. Special credit to Dhananjay de Silva who took the pressure off me with the way he batted.
Sri Lanka looked 20 runs short but it proved to be enough.
The fifth ODI is on Friday.