Australia wanted 12 runs off the final two overs in a revised goal and Maxwell ensured his staff secured the win with 9 balls to spare
Australia wanted 12 runs off the final two overs in a revised goal and Maxwell ensured his staff secured the win with 9 balls to spare
Glenn Maxwell guided injury-hit Australia to an exhilarating two-wicket win over Sri Lanka within the series-opening one-day cricket worldwide with an entertaining, unbeaten 80 from 51 deliveries.
Batting at No. 7, Maxwell rescued the Australian innings after strolling to the crease with the whole at 189-5 and 93 runs required from 84 deliveries. He labored with the decrease order and hastened the victory with three-quarters of his runs coming from boundaries, which included six sixes and 6 fours.
Australia wanted 12 runs off the final two overs in a revised goal and Maxwell ensured his staff secured the win with 9 balls to spare when he plundered Dushmantha Chameera for back-to-back sixes.
Sri Lanka’s spinners had been on track, notably leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who picked up 4 wickets, however Maxwell toyed with the bowling. He cleared the boundary seemingly with no bother in any respect. And his wonderful working between wickets put strain on Sri Lankan fielders.
With Maxwell on the rampage pulling and reverse sweeping at will, the bowlers had been beneath strain and began erring with their lengths.
After begins from Aaron Finch (44), Steve Smith (53) and Marcus Stoinis (44) within the prime order, Maxwell dominated two essential lower-order partnerships to get Australia over the road.
He’d been given out LBW to Chamika Karunaratne on 10 however efficiently overturned the choice after reviewing. From then on, there was no stopping him as he introduced up his twenty third ODI half-century with a reverse hit for 4.
Australia has been slowed as a result of accidents. Mitchell Marsh (calf) and Mitchell Starc (finger) will not be out there for the match, whereas quick bowlers Kane Richardson (hamstring) and Sean Abbott (finger) have returned to Australia.
When Sri Lanka set a goal of 301, the hosts had been favorites to win as no staff had chased that many runs on the venue. However, Australia’s goal was revised after a rain interruption and the guests completed on 282-8 from 42.3 overs.
Three half-centuries enabled Sri Lanka to get to its whole of 300. Openers Pathum Nissanka (56) and Danushka Gunathilaka (55) placed on 115 earlier than being dismissed in fast succession.
Kusal Mendis then anchored the innings, making an unbeaten 86 that got here off 87 deliveries with eight fours and a six. They misplaced three wickets for 19 runs as Australia rallied however a 77-run stand between Mendis and Charith Asalaka (37) helped them to return out of the droop.
“Our bowling was not up to the mark as we sent down too many short balls and full tosses,” Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka said.
“They batted well and credit to their batsmen. They read the situation well. Good effort by us to put up 300 on the board and I thought it was a winning score. But then our bowling was poor today. We need to sit down, look at our strategies and bounce back in the next game.” Australia skipper Aaron Finch mentioned Maxwell’s knock was “fantastic.” “He was very smart and took some calculated risks. Although we put up decent partnerships, we were always playing catch up as we kept losing wickets,” Finch mentioned.
“Then Maxwell put us right back in the game. Steve Smith batted well too. Great to start off the series with a win.” The Australians opened the tour with a 2-1 victory within the Twenty20 sequence and shall be aiming to safe the five-match ODI part in Colombo earlier than the two-test sequence begins June 29 in Galle.
Source: www.thehindu.com
