A long wait ended for Sri Lanka, who registered their first win of an ODI series against Australia in 30 years, defeating the visitors by four runs in Colombo in the 4th ODI. Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanakas completed the series victory against Australia in the fourth ODI of the five-match series, winning the game by four runs. After being sent out and restricted to 258 for 49 overs, the composition of the Sri Lankan team led by Dasun Shanaka held its nerve and bowled Australia out for 254 runs, thus sealing a five-match series victory in ODIs. The win sealed the series at 3-1; the first bilateral series win for Sri Lanka against Australia at home in 30 years.
The success ends a 30-year wait for Sri Lanka to secure a victory at home in the bilateral ODI series against Australia. Aravinda de Silva was the star performer as Sri Lanka won a tri-match Sri Lankan-Australian Home ODI series in 1992, and three decades had passed before another triumph like that. A fighting maiden ODI century from Charith Asalanka, followed by a spectacular bowling display from Charith Asalanka, led Sri Lanka to an exciting four-run victory against Australia in the fourth ODI and helped them to snatch a commanding 3-1 series lead here Tuesday.
Ultimately, David Warner’s 99 was not enough to take Australia past the halfway mark, with Charith Asalanka scoring 106 off 110 balls. In contrast, Dhananjaya de Silva scored 60 off 61 deliveries for Sri Lanka. Australia’s star batsman David Warner’s patient 99-ball knock was not to come in any fashion, with the visitors losing their fourth game in an ODI series against Sri Lanka, which meant that Sri Lanka took an unassailable 3-1 lead. When they were bowled out first, Sri Lanka started the worst way they could, with Glenn Maxwell dismissing Niroshan Dickwella in the second over. Kusal Mendis saw his stumps pulled down following a satisfactory delivery from Pat Cummins.
Dhananjaya de Silva gave a 2-39 run from his ten overs to support his half-century in Sri Lanka’s innings. Sri Lanka’s spinners, particularly Dhananjaya de Silva and Jeffrey Vandersay, authored victory. Still, the enormous contribution came from Asalankas bat, who scored his maiden ODI century after he and de Silva lifted Sri Lanka from 34 for 3, putting on a century-worthy performance, with de Silva making a lucid 60 from the 61 balls that Asalanka scored.
Australia needed 19 runs from the last over, and spinner Mathew Kuhnemann nearly pulled off the impossible, dismissing Dasun Shanaka for 14 runs off his first five balls, but was caught off his final delivery, sealing Sri Lanka’s memorable series win. While Aaron Finch could not make an entry, a terrific innings by David Warner, holding up the order from end-on, ended with a beautiful catch from the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper when he grabbed the ball spun off from the batsman. Some great knocks by Pat Cummins and debutant Matthew Kuhneman helped Australia close the score. However, it was all out for the nation to win a thrilling series of ODIs.
