The air was suffused with tension as the ball travelled towards long-off. The valiant David Hussey had not quite achieved the required elevation as he launched into seamer Nuwan Kulasekara. Amid intense pressure, Tillakaratne Dilshan held his nerve to take the catch.
The crowd, dominated by typically colourful and vibrant Sri Lankan supporters, erupted. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene punched his fists in delight. Kulasekara let out a cry of relief, while Kumar Sangakkara leapt in joy.
Banishing the demons of Hobart, a spirited Sri Lanka overcame Australia by nine runs in a game of contrasting fortunes at the MCG on Friday, to make the finals of the Commonwealth Bank ODI tri-series, eliminating India in the process.
Defending 238 after electing to bat on a surface that turned out to be on the slower side, Sri Lanka rediscovered the passion that was missing in its previous game.
Jayawardene found his touch as captain — he maintained attacking fields and even had a short-leg in place for a well-set Shane Watson — and managed the overs brilliantly after two of his bowlers, Thisara Perera (side strain) and Angelo Mathews (calf), suffered injuries during the Australian run chase.
It finally boiled down to 10 runs off the final over, with the host having one wicket in hand. Hussey's (74 off 74) big-hitting plans came unstuck off the first delivery itself and the Sri Lankans celebrated.
Christian's hat-trick
The fascinating game threw up several heroes. Pace bowling all-rounder Daniel Christian's five-wicket haul included only the fourth hat-trick by an Australian in ODIs. And James Pattinson bowled with pace and verve to scalp four. Christian mixed his cutters — the 'keeper stood up to him — with deliveries swinging into the right-hander. The pace-bowling all-rounder struck gold in the 44th over. He prised out Perera off his third delivery after Michael Hussey, retaining balance, held a wonderful catch near the boundary.
With his next delivery — it swerved into the right-hander — he trapped Senanayake leg-before. Christian duly completed his hat-trick, but was distinctly lucky to dismiss Kulasekara — replays showed the ball was missing leg.
For Sri Lanka, Man-of-the-Match Dinesh Chandimal (75) and Sangakkara (64) produced a crucial 123-run association for the third wicket after the Australians had made early inroads.
Captain Jayawardene perished when attempting to steal a run — a cracking throw from David Hussey, in the slips, to the bowler's end was on target. Thereafter, Pattinson beat Dilshan with slight deviation and bounce.
Chandimal and Sangakkara enabled Sri Lanka recover. The 22-year-old Chandimal has a truckload of promise. For one so young, he reads situations extremely well and has an instinctive ability to work the ball into the gaps. He is comfortable off either foot, with drives and horizontal bat shots.
Sangakkara reined in his aggression and milked the bowling with clever placements; the feature of his batting was strong back-foot play. Yet, a few of his cover-drives were majestic and a cut off Ben Hilfenhaus raced to the fence. Pattinson snared Sangakkara on the pull to end a crucial partnership.
Chandimal fell to the same man when he attempted to flat-bat Pattinson and found the ball getting onto him too quickly.
Towards the end, a 29-run partnership between the stylish southpaw Lahiru Thirimanne (51) and Rangana Herath (14), for the ninth wicket, took Lanka to a respectable total after a late-middle order collapse.
Early breakthroughs
Sri Lanka needed quick breakthroughs and achieved them. David Warner, chasing a back-of-a-length delivery from Malinga was well held by Perera at short cover. Then, Kulasekara won a leg-before shout against Mathew Wade, who played across. And the in-form Peter Forrest, playing away from his body, nicked a wide delivery from Malinga.
The right-left pair of Watson and Michael Hussey kept Australia in the hunt though. Strong with his pulls, flicks and thumping drives down the ground, Watson impressed.
Then, the tactically-smart Jayawardene brought in Lahiru Thirimanne's part-time medium pace into play and the throw of the dice worked.
The left-handed Hussey edged a gentle away swinger and 'keeper Sangakkara, standing up, pouched a fine catch. Spearhead Lasith Malinga, ripped apart by Virat Kohli at Hobart, bowled with fire and precision, shouldering immense responsibility. He unleashed a deadly in-swinging yorker to take out the middle stump of a free-stroking Watson (65).
Bowling hero Christian did not last long. Unable to read the trajectory, he spooned one back at off-spinner Senanayake. TV replays showed the diving catch was held cleanly, after a third umpire referral. Pattinson fell to Herath after facing 23 balls, and Mckay was brilliantly run-out by Dilshan.
Malinga's crucial blow
Malinga then ended a threatening ninth wicket stand of 39 between David Hussey and Xavier Doherty, which brought Australia back into the match. Doherty attempted to drive Malinga, but was foxed by a slower delivery.
The right-handed Hussey, who was the final wicket to fall, impressed mightily with his gallant 74.
He struck the ball powerfully through covers, carved it square on the off-side and timed left-arm spinner Herath for a straight six during his innings.
The night, however, ended with the Sri Lankans swinging to the rhythm of a famous win.
AP adds
Scoreboard
Mahela Jayawardene run out D Hussey 5
Tillekeratne Dilshan c Wade b Pattinson 9
Kumar Sangakkara c Forrest b Pattinson 64
Dinesh Chandimal c McKay b Pattinson 75
Lahiru Thirimanne p Pattinson 51
Angelo Mathews c Doherty b Christian 5
Thissara Perera c M Hussey b Christian 5
Sachithra Senanayake lbw b Christian 0
Nuwan Kulasekera lbw b Christian 0
Rangana Herath not out 14
Lasith Malinga b Christian 2
Extras : (2b, 4lb, 2w) 8
TOTAL: (All out) 238
Overs : 50
Fall of wickets : 1-10, 2-17, 3-140, 4-186, 5-195, 6-206, 7-206, 8-206, 9-235.
Bowling : Pattinson 10-0-51-4 (1w), Hilfenhaus 7-0-29-0, McKay 8-0-39-0 (1w), D Hussey 1-0-6-0, Christian 9-0-31-5, Watson 7-0-28-0, Doherty 8-0-48-0.
David Warner c Perera b Malinga 6
Matthew Wade lbw b Kulasekera 9
Shane Watson b Malinga 65
Peter Forrest c Sangakkara b Malinga 2
Michael Hussey c Sangakkara b Thirimanne 29
David Hussey c Dilshan b Kulasekera 74
Daniel Christian c and b Senanayake 3
James Pattinson c Dilshan b Herath 12
Clint McKay run out b Herath 6
Xavier Doherty c Dilshan b Malinga 7
Ben Hilfenhaus not out 0
Extras : (15w, 1nb) 16
TOTAL : (All out) 229
Overs : 49.1.
Fall of wickets : 1-16, 2-26, 4-113, 5-140, 6-151, 7-178, 8-187, 9-229.
Bowling : Malinga 10-0-49-4 (7w), Kulasekera 9.1-1-38-2 (1w), Mathews 4-0-8-0, Senanayake 10-0-50-1 (3w), Perera .5-0-8-0, Thirimanne 4.1-0-25-1, Herath 10-0-43-1 (1nb, 2w), Dilshan 1-0-8-0 (2w).
Umpires : Asad Rauf, Pakistan, and Rod Tucker, Australia.
Third Umpire : Simon Fry, Australia. Match Referee: Chris Broad, England.
Toss : won by Sri Lanka.
Result : Sri Lanka won by nine runs.
