SL vs AUS, 2nd ODI Highlights: Sri Lanka defeated Australia by 26 runs in the second game of the 5-match ODI series to level the series by 1-1.
After losing the first ODI on Tuesday Sri Lanka bounced backed strongly and bowled out Australia for just 189 runs to win the rain-shortened second ODI.
Chasing the target of 216, Australia only managed to reach the 189 mark as they lost their 5 wickets in the space of 19 runs. Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 220 for nine after 47.3 overs before rain interrupted the proceedings. The game was then reduced to 43 overs with Australia required to chase 216 runs in 43.
The second ODI was not a high-scoring match as Sri Lanka were all at just 220, with Kusal Mendis, who scored 36 remaining the highest scorer for the host nation. While Dhananjaya de Silva and the skipper Dasun Shanaka played knocks of 34 each.
Pat Cummins bagged the highest number of wickets for Australia (4). While Glenn Maxwell and debutant Matthew Kuhnemann took two wickets each.
The visitors started their chasing campaign on a good note with 39 on board in 7.1 overs in order to take a 2-0 lead in the series, but they lost their skipper Aaron Finch on the second ball of the eighth over, David Warner and Steve Smith then added 23 more runs before in form Warner also walked back to the pavilion.
When Australia was at 93 for 2 in 19.5 and everything looks perfect in a run chase, Smith got out.
Travis Head (23), Marnus Labuschagne (18), Alex Carey (15), and Glenn Maxwell (30) played some short knocks but it wasn’t enough to hand their side a victory as, after the dismissal of Glenn Maxwell at 170, the visitors lost their 4 batters for just 19.
For Sri Lanka, Chamika Karuratne took 3 wickets, while Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dunith Wellalalge bagged two wickets each.
The third ODI between Sri Lanka and Australia will be played on June 19 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
