Middle-order resistance from Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey ensured Australia finished the ODI series with a consolation win defined by Sri Lanka’s earlier batting collapse that left them reeling at 8 for 85.
Australia had suffered their own wobbles on a turning pitch in the chase of Sri Lanka’s eventual total of 160, after Chamika Karunaratne’s defiant run-a-ball 75 gave the hosts at least a modest target to defend, and were 3 for 19 and then 4 for 50 before Labuschagne and Carey marshalled the rescue effort.
The win may give some confidence to Australia’s bowlers, five of them divvying up the wickets, but the matches in Colombo suggest the upcoming Test series will likely be a difficult trial by spin for Australia’s batters.
Both teams were depleted by injury for the dead rubber that saw the series finish 3-2 in Sri Lanka’s favour, but that didn’t deter another enthusiastic crowd pack the Khetterama. Many of the fans dressed in yellow and waved Australian flags and signs thanking the visitors for coming to a country that is suffering a crippling economic crisis.
The crowd quietened somewhat after Sri Lanka won the toss and floundered from the moment Pathum Nissanka edged Josh Hazlewood to Carey in the third over. Hazlewood was economical and bowled tightly in the powerplay, taking two wickets and left Sri Lanka’s batters struggling to get going.
But Sri Lanka’s innings really imploded when they lost 4 wickets in the space of 8 balls, a collapse sparked by a mix up between Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis in the 16th over.
After pushing the ball into the covers, Asalanka sprinted the first and turned for the second but didn’t see Mendis send him back. Aslalanka was left stranded as Matthew Kuhnemann fired the ball in for Glenn Maxwell to remove the bails.
From there the wickets cascaded in a wild fashion: Mendis was out next ball when he dropped deep in his crease to pull Maxwell, only to dislodge the bails with his back leg.
Then Kuhnemann, who was a last minute inclusion to the side after Mitchell Swepson was sidelined with a gastro complaint, took two wickets in three balls as Dunith Wellalage miscued an attempted slog and then Dasun Shanaka played around a ball that slid onto the stumps, leaving Sri Lanka flailing.
But Karunaratne’s maiden ODI fifty had the crowd roaring once more and he was offered valuable support from debutant Pramod Madushan before he was caught and bowled by Cameron Green for 14.
Karunaratne was running out of partners and when he was out, top-edging Pat Cummins, Sri Lanka had batted just 43.1 of their allotted 50 overs, and Karunaratne had scored almost half of their 160 runs.
Before the match, Aaron Finch had bemoaned his side’s inability to form big partnerships with the bat and, in this chase, the issue was again exposed.
The captain was the first to go after facing just three balls of Theekshana’s offspin without scoring, missing an attempted sweep with the bat and instead gloving the ball to Asalanka at first slip.
Warner (10) was the first of Wellalage’s three wickets, although it took a stunning catch from Danushka Gunalithika at wide mid-off to dismiss him. Gunalithika was hurt making the diving catch but Australia were in all sorts of pain as Josh Inglis (5), making his keenly anticipated debut, was out cheaply after edging Theekshana to leg slip.
Mitchell March (24) was just stating to look comfortable when he skewed Madushan to deep cover, giving the debutant his maiden wicket but the chase was steadied when Labuschagne (31) and Carey (45*) knuckled down together.
Their 51-run partnership was ended when Labuschagne was rapped on the pads by Wellalage, but it had restored calm to a nervy pursuit and Carey saw Australia home with support from Maxwell (16) and Green (25*).
