“Their country needed it”- Cricket fans react to Sri Lanka’s first series win in 30 years at home against Australia

“Their country needed it”- Cricket fans react to Sri Lanka’s first series win in 30 years at home against Australia

Sri Lanka team

As the entire Sri Lankan island is going through a dire economic crisis, the Sri Lankan cricket team had given their people something to cheer about. A series win against the mighty Australians at home will be etched in every Sri Lankan’s memory for a long time.

Australians were leading the series 1-1 but a few must have anticipated something special coming up in the second ODI from the Lankans. Sri Lanka defended just 220 runs against the five-time World Cup winners in the second ODI because Lankan bowlers, especially the spinners took great advantage of the slower pitch and made impossible for aggressive Aussie batters to get past them. The Lankans chased the 292-run target with ease at the third ODI with the a century knock from Pathun Nissanka.

In the fourth ODI, Australia chose to bat bowl first. A maiden century from Charith Asalanka (110 off 106 with 10 boundaries and a six) and a 61-ball 60 runs from Dhananjaya de Silva helped Sri Lanka score 258 runs. Wanindu Hasaranga played a cameo and scored 21 off 20.

Check Twitter’s reactions:

https://twitter.com/on_drive23/status/1539296656310816768
https://twitter.com/beingfatyma_/status/1539288863297896450

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“I think this should be celebrated by the whole of Sri Lanka”- Dasun Shanaka

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka team

At one point, Australia seemed to be running towards the target with David Warner quickly reaching his century but became the second batter to get stumped out on 99 in ODIs. Apart from Pat Cummins’ 35 off 43 balls, other batsmen couldn’t even get past 30. And in what was a thriller match, Aussies played till the last over with four runs to score, which they failed and Sr Lanka won the ODI series after 30 years at home against Australia (since 1992). Sri Lankan spinners are to be praised here. De Silva, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chamika Karunaratne picked up two wickets each.

“Not only for me, my teammates, Sri Lanka cricket, the whole country, this is much needed at the moment,” Shanaka said afterwards. “I think this should be celebrated by the whole of Sri Lanka.”

“If someone had played for David Warner for five or six more overs that could have been a match-winning partnership,” said Aussie captain Aaron Finch.

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