T20 WC 2021: AUS vs SL Review – Australia cruise to a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka

Australia registered a clinical victory over Sri Lanka in the Super 12 round match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 28. Australia won the toss and elected to field first, restricting Sri Lanka to only 154 for 6. They chased down the total in just 17 overs with the loss of only three wickets.

Sri Lanka did have a good first half building a platform on the back of runs from Kusal Perera and Charith Asalanka, both who got 35 each. However, there was a slight collapse as they fell from 78 for 1 to 94 for 5. Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 33 runs from 26 balls which took them to the score of 154/6, which was going to be difficult to defend.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa picked up two wickets each. The Aussies got a good start with Aaron Finch making 37 runs from 23 balls while his partner David Warner found his rhythm back. The southpaw made 65 runs from 42 balls to set up the chase. Steven Smith made a 26-ball 28 while Marcus Stoinis scored 16 runs from seven balls. For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga had figures of 2 for 22.

Top performers:

Adam Zampa: The leg-spinner was quite amazing to hold one end up and not leak runs. When the Lankans could have got a big total, Zampa’s effort ensured that they were reduced to a chasable total. He gave only 12 runs in four overs and picked up the important wickets of Charith Asalanka and Avishka Fernando.

David Warner:

Hopefully, this knock should be enough to shut his critics off for some time. With not a lot of runs on his back, he was feeling the pressure but he played an excellent Warner-like innings to help Aussies get past the finish line in this game. He hit 10 fours in his knock.

Achievement/records:

• Kusal Perera has the second-highest sixes in T20Is for Sri Lanka with 50. Thisara Perera has 53.
• Adam Zampa (12) and Mitchell Starc (22) have taken the most wickets by any Aussie bowler with clean bowled in T20Is.

Way ahead:

Australia will now face England on October 30 while Sri Lanka will play South Africa on the same day.