AUS vs SL: It was a tense affair for Australia, who finally got their first World Cup win against Sri Lanka. The 5 time champions had lost their first two games to India and South Africa, and were under pressure when Sri Lanka raced to 125-0.
However, Sri Lanka imploded, losing all their wickets for just 84 runs and getting bowled out for 209.
Australia’s chase was not smooth either, as they slumped to 24-2. They needed half-centuries from Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, who scored 52 and 58 respectively, to steady the ship.
Glenn Maxwell’s explosive 31 not out from 21 balls, and Marcus Stoinis’ quickfire 20 not out from 10, ensured Australia’s win by five wickets with almost 15 overs to spare.
The match was also marred by off-field incidents in Lucknow, where strong winds blew signs off the roof.
The debris landed on the pitch and the seats, forcing the fans to move to the back of the stands. The International Cricket Council said no one was injured and the thin crowd was able to return to their seats when the wind died down.
Australia are now only two points behind the top four in the group table and face Pakistan in Bangalore on Friday. That game, along with the ones against New Zealand and England, will be crucial for their chances of advancing. Sri Lanka’s capitulation was baffling. They lost nine wickets for 52 runs and six wickets for 31 runs. Adam Zampa, the leg-spinner, took four wickets as he got better with each over, while Pat Cummins chipped in with two wickets and a direct-hit run-out.
The wind also brought a dust storm at the end of Sri Lanka’s innings, and Australia’s innings began with a double blow from Dilshan Madushanka, the left-arm seamer. He trapped Warner and Smith lbw in the same over, leaving Smith with his first World Cup duck.
Marsh, who might have been playing for his spot as Travis Head recovers from a broken hand, was excellent in driving the ball through the off side. He was looking comfortable until he ran himself out by taking an unnecessary second run, falling to Karunaratne’s precise throw from the boundary.
Inglis, who was born in Leeds, had a shaky start but settled into a partnership of 77 with Labuschagne.
Labuschagne was on 40 when he holed out to mid-wicket, giving Madushanka his third scalp. By then, though, Australia had the game in control and Maxwell smashed four fours and two sixes, while Stoinis finished it with a six. Sri Lanka, who have lost all three of their games so far, take on the Netherlands in Lucknow on Saturday, knowing that another defeat would likely end their campaign.
AUS vs SL: Full Scorecard
Sri Lanka (50 ovs maximum)
| BATTING | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Warner b Cummins | 61 | 67 | 103 | 8 | 0 | 91.04 | ||
| Kusal Perera | b Cummins | 78 | 82 | 123 | 12 | 0 | 95.12 | ||
| Kusal Mendis (c)† | c Warner b Zampa | 9 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 69.23 | ||
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | lbw b Zampa | 8 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
| Charith Asalanka | c Labuschagne b Maxwell | 25 | 39 | 75 | 0 | 1 | 64.10 | ||
| Dhananjaya de Silva | b Starc | 7 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 53.84 | ||
| Dunith Wellalage | run out (Cummins) | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 22.22 | ||
| Chamika Karunaratne | lbw b Zampa | 2 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 18.18 | ||
| Maheesh Theekshana | lbw b Zampa | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Lahiru Kumara | b Starc | 4 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | ||
| Dilshan Madushanka | not out | 0 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Extras | (b 2, lb 2, w 9) | 13 | |||||||
| TOTAL | 43.3 Ov (RR: 4.80) | 209 | |||||||
| Fall of wickets: 1-125 (Pathum Nissanka, 21.4 ov), 2-157 (Kusal Perera, 26.2 ov), 3-165 (Kusal Mendis, 27.6 ov), 4-166 (Sadeera Samarawickrama, 29.1 ov), 5-178 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 32.3 ov), 6-184 (Dunith Wellalage, 34.5 ov), 7-196 (Chamika Karunaratne, 37.6 ov), 8-199 (Maheesh Theekshana, 39.2 ov), 9-204 (Lahiru Kumara, 40.5 ov), 10-209 (Charith Asalanka, 43.3 ov) • DRS | |||||||||
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 10 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 4.30 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 7 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 5.14 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Pat Cummins | 7 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 4.57 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Glenn Maxwell | 9.3 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 3.78 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Adam Zampa | 8 | 1 | 47 | 4 | 5.87 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Marcus Stoinis | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5.50 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Australia (T: 210 runs from 50 ovs)
| BATTING | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Marsh | run out (Karunaratne/†Mendis) | 52 | 51 | 67 | 9 | 0 | 101.96 | ||
| David Warner | lbw b Madushanka | 11 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 183.33 | ||
| Steven Smith | lbw b Madushanka | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Marnus Labuschagne | c Karunaratne b Madushanka | 40 | 60 | 100 | 2 | 0 | 66.66 | ||
| Josh Inglis † | c Theekshana b Wellalage | 58 | 59 | 75 | 5 | 1 | 98.30 | ||
| Glenn Maxwell | not out | 31 | 21 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 147.61 | ||
| Marcus Stoinis | not out | 20 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 200.00 | ||
| Extras | (w 3) | 3 | |||||||
| TOTAL | 35.2 Ov (RR: 6.08) | 215/5 | |||||||
| Did not bat: Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood | |||||||||
| Fall of wickets: 1-24 (David Warner, 3.1 ov), 2-24 (Steven Smith, 3.6 ov), 3-81 (Mitchell Marsh, 14.3 ov), 4-158 (Marnus Labuschagne, 28.5 ov), 5-192 (Josh Inglis, 33.1 ov) • DRS | |||||||||
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahiru Kumara | 4 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 11.75 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 9 | 2 | 38 | 3 | 4.22 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 7 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 7.00 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dunith Wellalage | 9.2 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 5.67 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chamika Karunaratne | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 5.00 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4.33 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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