David Warner oozed class and confidence in his 42-ball 65 as Australia beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets with three overs to spare in a Super 12 contest at the ICC T20 World Cup on Thursday.
Needing 155 to win, Warner and Aaron Finch shrugged off their poor form in style. Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana came into the attack in the second over and was immediately reverse swept for four by Warner. That set the tone for the chase.
The openers took 20 off pacer Lahiru Kumara's first over as Australia racked up 63 in the PowerPlay. An elegant straight drive by Finch stood out. Warner got a reprieve on 18 when Kusal Perera missed a simple caught behind chance off Dushmantha Chameera. Just when Australia was threatening to run away with the contest, Finch chopped on off Wanindu Hasaranga for 37. Glenn Maxwell fell to the same bowler soon after.
Steve Smith joined Warner, who brought up his fifty off 31 balls. With the equation down to 43 from 42 balls, Warner kept finding the ropes before holing out to Dasun Shanaka. Smith saw Australia home in the company of Marcus Stoinis.
Earlier, Australia chose to field. Finch began with the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. The move paid dividends immediately when Pathum Nissanka was caught off Cummins in the third over. Maxwell went for 16 in his first over with Charith Asalanka hitting a six and a four.
Perera and Asalanka brought up their 50-run partnership off just 36 balls before Adam Zampa removed Asalanka. Starc, after bowling the first over, returned to the attack in the 11th over. Perera, who hit Starc into the second deck, was bowled next ball by a searing 90mph leg-stump yorker. In the next over, Zampa dismissed Avishka Fernando as Sri Lanka slipped from 78 for one to 94 for five. Though Bhanuka Rajapaksa came up with a cameo to take the team to 154, it wasn’t enough.
SRI LANKA Pathum Nissanka c Warner b Cummins 7 (9b, 1x4) , Kusal Perera b Starc 35 (25b, 4x4, 1x6) , Charith Asalanka c Smith b Zampa 35 (27b, 4x4, 1x6) , Avishka Fernando c Smith b Zampa 4 (7b) , Bhanuka Rajapaksa (not out) 33 (26b, 4x4, 1x6) , Wanindu Hasaranga c Wade b Starc 4 (2b, 1x4) , Dasun Shanaka c Wade b Cummins 12 (19b, 1x4) , Chamika Karunaratne (not out) 9 (6b, 1x4) ; Extras (lb-4, w-10, nb-1): 15; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 154.
FALL OF WICKETS 1-15 (Nissanka, 2.3 overs), 2-78 (Asalanka, 9.4), 3-86 (Kusal, 10.3), 4-90 (Avishka, 11.5), 5-94 (Hasaranga, 12.2), 6-134 (Shanaka, 17.4).
AUSTRALIA BOWLING Starc 4-0-27-2, Hazlewood 4-0-26-0, Cummins 4-0-34-2, Maxwell 1-0-16-0, Stoinis 3-0-35-0, Zampa 4-0-12-2.
AUSTRALIA David Warner c Bhanuka b Shanaka 65 (42b, 10x4) , Aaron Finch b Hasaranga 37 (23b, 5x4, 2x6) , Glenn Maxwell c Avishka b Hasaranga 5 (6b, 1x4) , Steve Smith (not out) 28 (26b, 1x4) , Marcus Stoinis (not out) 16 (7b, 2x4, 1x6) ; Extras (nb-2, w-2): 4; Total (for three wkts. in 17 overs): 155.
FALL OF WICKETS 1-70 (Finch, 6.5), 2-80 (Maxwell, 8.3), 3-130 (Warner, 14.6).
SRI LANKA BOWLING Karunaratne 2-0-19-0, Theekshana 4-0-27-0, Chameera 3-0-33-0, Kumara 3-0-48-0, Hasaranga 4-0-22-2, Shanaka 1-0-6-1.
Toss: Australia.
Man-of-the-Match: Zampa.
Australia won by seven wickets with three overs to spare.
