Sri Lanka v Australia, 2016
Wisden's review of the third ODI, Sri Lanka v Australia, 2016
Adam Collins
15-Apr-2017
At Dambulla, August 28, 2016 (day/night). Australia won by two wickets. Toss: Sri Lanka.
Warner's temporary elevation to the job commonly described as the second-most important in Australia - after the Prime Minister - brought immediate returns. He continued Smith's rotten luck at the toss, though, and soon Dilshan, playing his 330th and last ODI because of pressure from the selectors, was firing off a flurry of boundaries. A packed crowd were loving it, but the fun ended when he popped a Zampa full toss to midwicket. He finished on 10,290 runs, made across three decades, and enjoyed the long walk from the arena, arms aloft. The innings spluttered, and Chandimal was the only other to get out of the teens; he ticked over to three figures, before being last to fall, with the score 226. Aponso was introduced in the fourth over, and Finch took him on, but lost the mini-battle, while Mathews forced false strokes from Warner and Marsh. At 44 for three, Australia were in familiar trouble, before Bailey took over, adding 62 with Head and 81 with Wade. Late wickets obliged the tail to close the game, but Warner had the perfect start, and Australia a 2-1 lead.
Man of the Match: G. J. Bailey.
Warner's temporary elevation to the job commonly described as the second-most important in Australia - after the Prime Minister - brought immediate returns. He continued Smith's rotten luck at the toss, though, and soon Dilshan, playing his 330th and last ODI because of pressure from the selectors, was firing off a flurry of boundaries. A packed crowd were loving it, but the fun ended when he popped a Zampa full toss to midwicket. He finished on 10,290 runs, made across three decades, and enjoyed the long walk from the arena, arms aloft. The innings spluttered, and Chandimal was the only other to get out of the teens; he ticked over to three figures, before being last to fall, with the score 226. Aponso was introduced in the fourth over, and Finch took him on, but lost the mini-battle, while Mathews forced false strokes from Warner and Marsh. At 44 for three, Australia were in familiar trouble, before Bailey took over, adding 62 with Head and 81 with Wade. Late wickets obliged the tail to close the game, but Warner had the perfect start, and Australia a 2-1 lead.
Man of the Match: G. J. Bailey.