SL vs AUS | 2nd T20I | All-round bowling, resistant Wade help Australia seal the series

The T20 World Champions Australia have won another away T20I series in 2022 by chasing down the target of 125 after beating Sri Lanka by three wickets at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. 

Aaron Finch invited the home team to bat first and follow the same template to win the match. The experienced opener Danushka Gunathilaka played a stylish cover drive on the fourth ball of the first over delivered by Glenn Maxwell. However, the subsequent ball witnessed the southpaw getting holed out at deep mid-wicket. 

Pathum Nissanka (3) mistimed the ball and gave an easy catch to Mitchell Marsh at third man area off Jhye Richardson. The home team were at 7/2 in three overs. 

However, the talented batters Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis started cautiously but made sure to get one big shot each before finishing at 28/2 until the powerplay overs. 

As the fielding restrictions eased, Asalanka was the key aggressor and hit boundaries in every over to steer the team at a fine rate. However, he was dismissed for 39 off 33 in an attempt to hit a sixer off Maxwell and was caught by Finch at long-off. This brought an end to the 67-run partnership. 

It was an unfortunate hit-wicket dismissal of Mendis (36) off Hazlewood in the 15th over. Then, none of the batters could provide a flourish and the Lankans could score only 124. 

The experienced campaigners - Finch and David Warner - were impressive yet again to deliver for the team in the powerplay overs.

But, Gunathilaka took a terrific catch to dismiss the visiting skipper on 24 in the third over delivered by Wanindu Hasaranga. Then, Warner and Mitchell Marsh hit a couple of boundaries and accelerated the run-rate. 

Marsh (11) and Steve Smith (5) were adjudged LBW off Hasaranga and Nuwan Thushara, respectively. At the end of the powerplay overs, the visitors were at 63/3. 

In the seventh over of the innings, Warner (21) was run out at an important juncture of the match. And after hitting a solitary six, Marcus Stoninis also got back to the hut, holing out to Asalanka at silly mid-on. 

Hasaranga was then again brought into the attack, which paid immediate dividends to Sri Lanka. He took the wickets of Maxwell and Ashton Agar in successive balls, which left Australia reeling at 99/7. 

Then another twist in the drama helped Australia as the wicket-keeper Matthew Wade displayed fine resistance to the Lankan bowlers and tried to rotate the strike in the early part of his innings and then hit a couple of boundaries to release the pressure. 

Wade remained unbeaten on 26 off 26, and Jhye Richardson was good support with 9* off 20. The total was chased down with 13 balls to spare as the host side bagged the series with one T20I still to go.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 124/9 (20 overs)

Charith Asalanka 39 (33), Kusal Mendis 36 (36);

Kane Richardson 4/30 (4), Jhye Richardson 3/26 (3)

Australia 126/7 (17.5 overs)

Matthew Wade 26* (26), Aaron Finch 24 (13);

Wanindu Hasaranga 4/33

Australia won by three wickets.