AUS VS SL ODI

That's all for the Australia-Sri Lanka series! The Aussies will take away valuable lessons from their encounters with a resilient Sri Lankan side, particularly addressing their middle-order woes. Next up, they'll face arch-rivals England on February 22nd in Lahore at 9 am GMT in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. As for Sri Lanka, they'll have a break until June, when they'll host Bangladesh for a packed schedule of 2 Tests, 3 T20s, and 3 ODIs. Thanks for joining us on this thrilling series! If you're eager for more cricket excitement, feel free to switch tabs and catch the latest updates from ongoing matches. Until next time, cheers!

Charith Asalanka, the Sri Lankan skipper is named Player of the Series. He states that he had no specific mantra but aimed to score big hundreds and contribute with the ball. He observes that the pitch had less bounce than the previous game but was still good for batting. He credits Kusal Mendis and Nishan Madushka for setting a solid foundation. Asalanka acknowledges Australia’s strong bowling but feels the day belonged to Sri Lanka. He separates his captaincy from his batting, focusing solely on his role as a No. 5 batter. While disappointed about missing the Champions Trophy, he looks ahead to playing consistent cricket.

Australian captain Steven Smith shares his thoughts on the series, praising Sri Lanka for their outstanding performance. Smith also credits Sri Lanka for playing better cricket and deservedly winning the series. Smith acknowledges the impressive bowling display by the Sri Lankans, stating that their bowlers bowled really well and stuck to their plans, bowling beautifully throughout the series. On a more positive note, Smith reflects on the team's experience in Sri Lanka and says that It's been a fun time for the group, and they have enjoyed themselves immensely. Closes by saying that hospitality has been top-notch, and they're grateful for that.

Kusal Mendis is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH. He expresses his happiness with his performance, acknowledging that the first few overs were challenging with the new ball. He credits Nishan Madushka for providing crucial support. Mendis notes that the pitch played differently compared to the first match, being slower and offering early turn. He praises the partnership with Charith Asalanka and Nishan Madushka, highlighting their ability to adapt to the conditions. He mentions that batting became tougher after 50 overs, as the ball started coming on slower, but overall, he enjoyed his time at the crease.

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Earlier, Sri Lanka's batting unit had fired on all cylinders, with Kusal Mendis scoring a brilliant century and Nishan Madushka and Charith Asalanka contributing half-centuries. Janith Liyanage chipped in with a useful 32. Australia's bowlers shared the wickets, with Ben Dwarshuis, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, and Adam Zampa each taking one apiece.

The hosts' bowling unit was exceptional, with Asitha Fernando and Wanindu Hasaranga each claiming three wickets. The star of the show was Dunith Wellalage as he claimed a four-fer. The bowlers stuck to their plans and were clinical enough. The skipper too set the right fields and that marked a collective team effort.

After Sri Lanka posted an impressive total of 281, Australia's chase was derailed when Josh Inglis fell, triggering a collapse that saw the visitors lose wickets in rapid succession. Despite a promising start, Australia's middle order and tail end struggled to cope with Sri Lanka's disciplined bowling attack. Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, and Travis Head were the only Australian batsmen to reach double figures. The worrying sign for Australia would be collapsing from 78 for 3 to 107 all out.

Sri Lanka Completes 2-0 Series Sweep Against Australia! Sri Lanka dominated Australia in the second game of the series, securing a comprehensive 174-run victory and completing a 2-0 series sweep. Sri Lanka's series win cements their dominance at home, extending their unbeaten streak in the ODI series on their turf to 11 consecutive series!

OUT! TIMBER! Dunith Wellalage ends the innings in style! Sri Lanka win by 174 runs for the first time in ODI cricket! Nagging length on the off stump, nipping back in. Tanveer Sangha looks to tap the ball to sweeper covers once again and the ball zips through the gap between the bat and pads and goes on to hit the top of the middle stump. Australia are bowled out for 107 runs.

OUT! TIMBER! Dunith Wellalage ends the innings in style! Sri Lanka win by 174 runs for the first time in ODI cricket! Nagging length on the off stump, nipping back in. Tanveer Sangha looks to tap the ball to sweeper covers once again and the ball zips through the gap between the bat and pads and goes on to hit the top of the middle stump. Australia are bowled out for 107 runs.

Short and wide, cut away infront of sweeper covers for a quick couple of runs more.

Just short on the stumps. Adam Zampa taps it to long on for one.

Much fuller on the stumps. Tanveer Sangha drives it to long off for one.

Nagging length on the stumps. Tanveer Sangha stays back and drops it down.

Fuller on off. Tanveer Sangha blcosk it off the fornt foot.

Short and wide outside off. Tanveer Sangha slaps the ball infront of sweeper covers for a couple.