Sri Lanka Stuns Australia with a Memorable Victory
Sri Lanka successfully used a review to dismiss Australia’s last batter, Spencer Johnson, as umpire Chris Gaffaney overturned his decision and ruled him LBW. The Sri Lankan players erupted in celebration, and commentator Russell Arnold summed up the moment perfectly: “This is a memorable win for Sri Lanka, and they will surely cherish it for a long time.”
In modern-day cricket, scoring 200-plus runs in T20s is common, yet Sri Lanka managed just 214 runs in a 50-over ODI. Despite the low total, they bowled out Australia for just 165 runs, securing a 49-run victory in the first match of the two-match series in Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s Fightback After Early Collapse
On a dry and slow Premadasa Stadium pitch, Sri Lanka struggled early, losing five wickets for just 55 runs. By the time their eighth wicket fell at 135, even reaching 150 seemed uncertain.
However, captain Charith Asalanka played a stunning knock, scoring a brilliant century to take Sri Lanka past the 200-run mark. Still, against a team like Australia, the target wasn’t considered too big. But Maheesh Theekshana’s masterful spin ensured otherwise.
This series, arranged as preparation for the Champions Trophy, now sees Australia trailing—against a team that didn’t even qualify for the tournament!
Asalanka’s Lone Battle with the Bat
Asalanka’s remarkable innings stood far above the rest. To put his dominance into perspective, Sri Lanka’s second-highest scorer, Dunith Wellalage, managed only 30 runs—a massive 97 runs fewer than Asalanka’s 127!
The sixth-wicket partnership between Asalanka and Wellalage added 67 runs, helping Sri Lanka cross 100. But the true game-changing stand came for the ninth wicket. Asalanka and Ishan Malinga put on 79 runs—an effort that deserves to be called “Asalanka Special.” Out of those 79 runs, Asalanka alone scored 77—while Malinga contributed just one run off 26 balls!
Australia Crumbles Under Pressure
Like Sri Lanka, Australia also faced an early collapse. They lost four wickets within the first powerplay, including Steven Smith, who had been named Australia’s Champions Trophy captain earlier in the day due to Pat Cummins’ absence.
Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey tried to steady the ship, putting on a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket. But in the 18th over, Theekshana trapped Labuschagne LBW, and Australia’s hopes of a comeback faded. Carey didn’t last much longer either—he was caught by Pathum Nissanka off Asalanka’s bowling.
Lower-order batters Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, and Adam Zampa fought to reduce the margin of defeat but couldn’t pull off a miracle.
Theekshana was Sri Lanka’s standout bowler, finishing with 4 wickets for 40 runs. Asitha Fernando and Wellalage claimed two wickets each.
Asalanka Dominates with Bat, Ball & Leadership
Asalanka’s all-round performance was the defining factor of the match. His 127-run masterclass, the crucial wicket of Carey, and his brilliant captaincy made him the undisputed Player of the Match.
For Australia, the key difference was simple—they didn’t have their own Asalanka.
Series Decider on Friday
The second and final ODI will be played on Friday at Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Match Summary
- Sri Lanka: 214 all out in 46 overs
(Asalanka 127, Wellalage 30, Kusal Mendis 19; Abbott 3/61, Hardie 2/13, Ellis 2/23, Johnson 2/44) - Australia: 165 all out in 33.5 overs
(Carey 41, Hardie 32, Zampa 20*, Abbott 20; Theekshana 4/40, Asitha 2/23, Wellalage 2/33)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 49 runs.
Player of the Match: Charith Asalanka.
Series: Sri Lanka leads 1-0 in the two-match series.
