Nissanka: Had a big target to hit a 100 at this T20 World Cup

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis had planned to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt until the dew arrived in Pallekele. In the end, the dew didn't make it, but Sri Lanka did, racing to the target of 182 in 18 overs, to vault themselves into the Super Eights with one group match still to play.

Nissanka was instrunmental to Sri Lanka's victory, hitting the T20 World Cup's first century, smoking 100 not out off 52 balls. He and Mendis, who hit 51 off 38 balls, had put on a rapid 97-run stand for the second wicket together. That partnership formed the base of Sri Lanka's chase, and although he lost Mendis in the 13th over, Nissanka accelerated from that point onwards to take Sri Lanka home.

"After we lost the first wicket, Kusal and I just planned to have a good powerplay," Nissanka said after the match. "He got a good start and that made things easier for me. We thought that there would be some dew, so the plan was to bat normally until that arrived. After 12 overs we were going to take stock and one of us would make a charge."

The dew didn't exactly play much of a role, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh confirming that conditions "didn't feel dewy" to him. And yet Nissanka thumped 50 runs in the last 20 balls he faced, hitting five fours and three sixes during that period. He reached triple figures - the second time he's done so in T20Is - off the fifth ball of the 18th over.

"I had a big target to hit a 100 in this World Cup, so I'm happy I was able to do that," Nissanka said. "We had played a match on this wicket, and we knew it was good for batting. Because Kusal and I batted well also, Australia couldn't bowl so well to us."

The hundred was not Nissanka's first spectacular act of the match. He had also completed a scintillating grab at backward point, leaping high to his left to hold a rapidly-traveling ball that came off the middle of Glenn Maxwell's bat. Nissanka had felt as if he needed to redeem himself, after dropping a muchmore straightforward catch off Maxwell at long on the previous over.

"After the first catch went down, I was disappointed because I knew we had to get his wicket. I made up my mind in that moment that I needed to do something special for the team. I thought he might play a reverse sweep in that moment and I was watching for it in the field. Fortunately I was able to complete the catch."