WATCH: “Thank You Australia”: Sri Lankan fans’ heartwarming gesture for Australia wins the heart of netizens


WATCH: “Thank You Australia”:  Sri Lankan fans’ heartwarming gesture for Australia wins the heart of netizens

SL VS AUS

Sri Lanka is witnessing their worst economic crisis since 1948. This has forced the island nation to endure power cuts, food and medicine shortages and months of protests.

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And the relationship between the two island countries- Australia and Sri Lanka wasn’t very good at point. In 1996, following a bomb blast in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo that killed 80 people, made the Aussie refuse to play the opening match of the World Cup. In August, later that year, Australians still refused to play Test cricket in Sri Lanka.

This didn’t stop there. Three years later, in 1999, the Muthiah Muralitharan “chucking” row incident at Adelaide Oval, which made umpire Ross Emerson’s no-ball made the Lankans protest over the decision and the play was held for 12 minutes against England. Emerson was one of the three Australian umpires.

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Fans pay tribute to Australia

fans
SL VS AUS

In 2022, 23 years later, the Australian cricket team brought cheerful and happy faces in the gloom that pervaded the island country amid the worst financial crisis. Thousands of fans donned the yellow jersey after a social media campaign called on them to pay tribute to the tourists. The Sri Lankans fans’ could simply say from their hearts, “Thank You Australia”.

The Aussie team received a heartwarming reception on Friday from the Colombo crowd. Sri Lankan team defeated the five-time World Cup champions by 3-2 in five-match ODI series. Previously, Australia won the T201 series 2-1 and the two countries will lock-horns in Test matches, starting next week in Galle.

“We’re very grateful that we’ve been able to tour here. We know the difficulties that Sri Lanka has faced in recent times,” said Aussie skipper Aaron Finch. “Hopefully over these eight white-ball games we’ve been able to provide some joy to people in the country.

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