Charith Asalanka hundred spearheads Sri Lanka triumph as Aussies crumble. Asalanka and Theekshana lead Sri Lanka to 49- run victory. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor)
Captain fantastic Charith Asalanka wiped away a bit of the bitter memories of Sri Lanka’s Test embarrassment when he smashed a match winning century against an Australian team that has been on a roll on tour, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Australia’s dominance in the two Galle Tests suggested a miserable allround experience for the home team. An so it seemed, when they batted first and was in immediate trouble on a low, slow wicket as Sri Lanka’s batters struggled against a penetrative Australian attack.
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At 5 for 55 in only 14.3 overs, Sri Lanka looked in dire straits until Asalanka dug in with Wellalage to resurrect a sorry situation.
With a dented pride after a thrashing in the Tests, Sri Lanka’s determination to turn things around appeared to find success in the forward thinking of a different captain and a team that played the one-day game with a fighting mindset that upset Australia’s best laid plans.
A defiant Asalanka disregarded the carnage around him as he smashed the Australian attack with disdain to bring respectability to the Sri Lankan total while giving his bowlers a reasonable crack at turning things around, which they did.
Australian skipper Steve Smith made bold pre-match predictions of a clean sweep over the Lankans as his team prepares for the Champions Trophy looming after this, and then the Test Championship final against South Africa.
He reckoned without a different opposition, and now lives in hope of squaring the extended series in game two tomorrow after a derailed belief. Australia will miss Mitchell Stark as the X factor after he returned home for personal reasons.
Losing wickets early, it seemed that Sri Lanka’s batting woes would continue to plague them as they painstakingly negotiated themselves to 214 all out in 46 overs. Things would have a lot worse if not for a fighting innings from the Sri Lankan skipper who was a standout from both teams as he powered to 127 off 126 balls with 5 sixers and 14 fours.
Only three other batters entered double figures in another inept performance. Among them promising young gun Dinuth Wellalage whose made 30 off 34 balls.
Australia in response, found Sri Lanka’s new look bowling attack a far contrast to the Test set-up as they laboured and failed to come to terms with the superior variation of dominant spinner Maheesh Theekshana helped by early breakthroughs by paceman Asitha Fernando and spinners Dinuth Wellalage and later Wannindu Hasarsnga.
They were never really in the game as wickets fell at regular intervals. Save fir a Sean Abbott/ Aron Hardie 7th wicket partnership that raised some hope of a recovery, Sri Lanka’s spinners soon put paid to their never-say-die aspirations bowling them out for a paltry 165 off only 33.5 overs and a convincing 49 run win.
At 6 for 85, the writing was on the wall for Australia as they struggled to stay in the chase despite having plenty of deliveries to negotiate it.
The loss of Alex Carey, 42 off 38 balls, Aaron Hardie, 32 off 37 and Sean Abbott 20 off 23 closed ot any chance of an Australian fightback.
Although the surface had no visible terrors, save for the lack of pace off it, the game only produced 379 runs for 20 wickets off 79.5 overs.
Theekshana enjoyed a memorable game grabbing 4 for 42 off 9.5 overs in an impressive spell while his world famous partner Hasarsnga came in for heavy punishment before he grabbed the crucial partnership breaking wicket between Abbott and Hardie. Wellalage and paceman Asitha Fernando were instrumental in completing the job.
Game two now holds the promise of an exciting battle as Sri Lanka attempts to gain a psychological edge over a team that has qualified for the Champions Trophy which they failed to qualify for.
If you missed Trevines’ last Article – here it is! – Unbeaten centuries to Steve Smith and Alex Carey have Lankans staring down the barrel of a whitewash. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports Editor)
