AUS vs SL 5th ODI Match Highlights:
Australians secured a consolation victory over hosts Sri Lanka. Australia won the last ODI by 4 wickets and 63 balls to spare after easily chasing down the target of 160 set by Sri Lanka. Australia secured a 3-2 loss in the ODI series with this victory. Let us dive into further details of AUS vs SL 5th ODI Match Highlights.
After winning the toss, Srilanka decided to bat first. It was not the best day in the middle for them. They lost back-to-back wickets. They lost batters almost after every 10 runs. But the special effort from the lower order Karunaratne helped them build a score par 150.
Karunaratne scored 75 of Sri Lanka’s 160 runs. He put out a valiant effort, scoring his first ODI fifty and exciting the fans. However, it did not seem like Australia will have too many problems to chase. The surface was dry and sluggish and turning.
Sri Lanka lost most of its wickets because of weak shots, odd run-outs, and even a hit wicket. They went through a spell where they unexpectedly lost four wickets in eight deliveries before crashing to 85/8.
It was always going to be difficult for Sri Lanka to defend a mediocre total of 160. The hosts did succeed in getting Australia down to 50/4 in the 15th over. But Labuschagne and Carey then formed a useful combination. Although the visitors lost a few wickets following that partnership,
Carey and Green made sure there were no additional snags as they contributed 51 runs for the fifth wicket. Australia should be happy with how they managed to pace their innings and finally succeed.
At the end of the 5th ODI where Srilanka won the series 3-2, the hosts were presented the trophy. It was a hope for happiness for the country that is reeling under stress. Chamika Karunaratne was awarded the player of the Match award. While Kusal Mendis was awarded the Player of the Series award.
The winnings captain talked about the series win as he said, “It is disappointing, but we need to keep pushing the boundaries, glad with the way the guys performed in the series. We took the momentum from the last T20 game, that set the tone. I think we could have won the first ODI as well. Our batters kept performing and our bowlers also delivered. Everyone took the responsibility, good to see Mendis back in form. Also the other players, it’s a team effort. We need to keep playing like this. The crowd has been amazing, it has been a full house, they were always behind us. They kept believing in us and we need to deliver more in the future. Would like to thank the cricket boards and the ground staff as well.
The Player of the Series award – Kusal Mendis
Australia and Srilanka will now meet for 2 Tests- Test series starting on June 29th.
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