Dhaka – After setting up a target of 335 while batting first, Australia wrapped up Sri Lanka for 247 all-out in 45.5 overs to crush them by 87 runs on Saturday at the Oval.
With this dominating win, Australia grabbed the top place in the points table with eight points surpassing New Zealand who have seven points.
Sri Lanka started chasing the total of 334 with a great approach as their openers Kusal Perera and captain Dimuth Karunaratne added 115 runs in just 16 overs.
Mitchel Starc, who returned with the bowling figure of four for 55, broke the first wicket stand removing Kusal for 52 off 36 with five fours and one six.
They reached 200 runs in 35 overs losing three more wickets. After the removal of Kusal, Sri Lanka lost Lahiru Thirimanna (16) and Karunaratne (97) inside 23 runs. After that, Sri Lana lost their last seven wickets in just 61 runs.
Apart from Kusal, Karunaratne and Thirimanna, Kusal Mendis (30) and Dhananjaya de Silva (16) were the other two batsmen to reach to double digit score. Eventually, they crumbled for 247 all-out in 45.5 overs.
For Australia, Starc bagged four wickets conceding 55 runs, and Kane Richardson took three for 47 runs while Pat Cummins and Jason Behrendorff scalped two and one respectively.
Earlier, the defending champions posted a mammoth total of 334 runs for 7 in 50 overs after sent to batting.
Australian captain Aaron Finch’s 153 runs, the joint-highest individual knock in this World Cup with Joe Root of England, helped them most post this challenging total.
Australia, who scored 237 for 2 in 40 overs, added 97 runs in the last 10 overs losing five more wickets. The lower order of Australia was not up to the mark today. However, this deficit was overshadowed by their big total of 334 for 7, featuring a record 173 runs in the 3rd wicket stand by Finch and Steve Smith in the ongoing World Cup.
David Warner and Aaron Finch added 80 runs in the opening stand to prove that they are equipped well to bat against Sri Lanka’s bowling attack.
Warner, who struck a ton in the previous game, fell for 26 off 48 with two fours. Dhananjaya de Silva was the man to break the opening stand of Australia. Warner came forward to cut the ball to the cover area but misjudged the line and lost his stumps.
Within 20 more runs, Australia lost Usman Khawaja too. This time, de Silva bowled a tossed up delivery. Khawaja swept it through the mid-wicket area. Isuru Udana managed an excellent low catch to remove Khawaja for 10.
However, in the third wicket stand, Australia added 173 runs with Steve Smith partnering with Finch scoring 73 runs off 59 balls featuring seven fours and a six. Before the Smith’s removal by Lasith Malinga, Finch fell for 153 off 132 with 15 fours and five sixes.
Along with Finch and Smith, Glenn Maxwell was also rhythmic in the middle as he struck 46 off 25 balls with five fours and one six. He remained unbeaten at the end of their innings. Shaun Marsh, Alex Carey and Pat Cummins failed to accelerate the innings during the death overs as they fell respectively for 3, 4 and 0.
For Sri Lanka, Dhananjaya and Udana took two wickets each conceding 40 and 57 runs respectively while Lasith Malinga took one and the rest two wickets were trapped by run-out.
Australia will take on Bangladesh in their next game on June 20 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, while Sri Lanka will lock horn with the hosts England on June 21 at Headingly, Leeds.UNB
