It took an apocalyptic dust storm and a freak bout of rain for Australia to get its World Cup campaign back on track with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Monday.
While it wasn’t exactly the statement win the Aussies were eyeing after two successive defeats, the return of Mitchell Marsh (52, 51b, 9x4) to his hard-hitting best and Adam Zampa (four for 47) to wicket-taking form are positives they will settle for.
Glenn Maxwell also found his mojo with an unbeaten 21-ball 31 as Australia rushed to the target in 35.2 overs.
After David Warner and Steve Smith were trapped leg-before by Dilshan Madushanka in the same over, Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the ship with a 57-run stand. Marsh was harsh against pace and spin as Australia ransacked 64 runs in the first PowerPlay, 45 of which came off the blade of Marsh.
While Labuschagne picked the gaps and rotated strike, Josh Inglis (58, 59b, 5x4, 1x6) took on the role of the aggressor after Marsh was run out. The wicketkeeper-batter punished the short stuff on his way to a 46-ball half-century.
Both Labuschagne and Inglis couldn’t see Australia home but their knocks were enough to close the door on Sri Lanka.
Earlier, after being asked to bowl, Australia’s desperation was in plain sight as Mitchell Starc frittered away a review off the first ball and issued a stern warning to Kusal Perera for backing up too far in the same over. Barring Labuschagne’s spilt catch to reprieve Pathum Nissanka on 43, those two instances were as close as Australia came to picking a wicket in the first 21 overs.
It took Warner’s brilliance in the field for Australia to taste success as Nissanka miscued a short ball from Pat Cummins. Earlier, Nissanka and Perera had blunted the pace trio of Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cummins during a 125-run opening stand.
After Nissanka fell, Perera showcased his ability to read lengths quickly by pulling Hazlewood behind square-leg and then in front of it for consecutive fours. Cummins had his second scalp when he hit the perfect length and moved the ball into Perera.
Captain Kusal Mendis was the second victim of Warner’s acrobatics, that prompted the day’s loudest cheer from a sparse crowd. Zampa who had been flayed for 22 runs in his first three overs, redeemed himself with that dismissal.
The leg-spinner hastened the collapse with three more wickets, trapping right-handers in front with his googlies. Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for 52 runs and its capitulation almost matched the drama of an aberrant 30-minute spell of rain and winds that picked apart the tournament branding at the venue.
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