After a couple of losses in the ongoing World Cup, Australia needed their captain to lead from the front. In the crunch game versus Sri Lanka, Pat Cummins certainly upped his game by picking up two vital wickets. He also effected a direct-hit and played a pivotal role in his side’s comfortable five-wicket win in Lucknow. Australia went past the modest total of 210 in just 35.2 overs.
During the first half of Sri Lanka’s innings, it seemed as if Australia were in trouble. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera added 100-plus for the opening wicket. In the opening over itself, Nissanka showed the intent his team required by cracking a couple of flicks. Kusal Perera followed that up by collecting two boundaries in the fourth over.
By the 10th over, Sri Lanka were 51 for no loss. Cummins introduced Adam Zampa into the attack, but Nissanka deposited him twice into the boundary hoardings. The leg-spinner’s tendency to bowl short or a full toss didn’t help his cause. Perera too took the aggressive route in the 16th over. With the score reading 121 for no loss after 21 overs, there were worried faces in the Australian camp.
At that juncture, Cummins bent his back and dug one short at Nissanka. The ball hit high up on the bat, and Nissanka couldn’t control the pull as he spooned a catch to David Warner. Cummins then made another massive breakthrough by cleaning up Perera. The round the wicket angle worked in his favour. In the very next over, Mendis, Sri Lanka’s best batter and acting skipper, top-edged a sweep to Warner at deep square-leg.
That wicket of Mendis triggered a collapse, as Sri Lanka lost their next seven for the addition of just 44 runs. Barring the opening duo, only Charith Asalanka crossed the double-digit mark as the island nation was bowled out in the 44th over. Zampa finished with four wickets. Cummins and Mitchell Starc took two each.
In the chase, Lahiru Kumara began with a wayward over and gave away 15 runs. Even though Dilshan Madushanka found swing and bagged the key scalps of David Warner and Steven Smith, it was always going to be a tall order to defend a sub-par total. Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis scored quick-fire fifties. Marnus Labuschagne got a decent 40 while Glenn Maxwell (31 off 21) and Marcus Stoinis provided the finishing touches.
Madushanka picked up three scalps for Sri Lanka. With their first win of the tournament, Australia have climbed up to eighth place on the points table. Still looking for a win, Sri Lanka are ninth.