Sri Lanka vs Australia, 5th ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 2016 Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele Date & Time: Sep 04, 09:18 AM LOCAL

After putting up a disappointing show in the Test series, Australia clawed their way back in the 50-over format by sealing the five-match series 3-1. In the sapping heat and humidity of the island nation, Australia showed admirable fighting spirit to usurp the home side.

In the fourth ODI played in Dambulla, Aaron Finch gave the visitors a rollicking start by unfurling a volley of eye-catching shots. With George Bailey again shepherding the middle-order, the current World Champions crossed the finish line with six wickets in hand. John Hastings, the redoubtable seamer from Victoria, also showed his class and quality with a six-wicket haul.

In Steve Smith's absence, David Warner has led the side with a sense of maturity and Mitchell Starc has time and again given the visitors the perfect start by rocking the top-order.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have struggled to string together consistent performances. The trio of Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis and Aponso have been impressive, but their inability to get off to a solid start has compounded their problems.

Mathews has been ruled out of the final game due to a calf tear. Chandimal will be leading the side in his absence. Niroshan Dickwella, Upal Tharanga and Dasun Shanaka have been provided with an opportunity to impress. The series also would be remembered for one of the bedrocks of the Sri Lankan line-up for more than a decade - Dilshan - deciding to hang up his boots from international cricket.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat. Australian have picked an unchanged side, while the hosts have made as many as four changes.

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal(w/c), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Amila Aponso

Australia (Playing XI): David Warner(c), Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, George Bailey, Travis Head, Matthew Wade(w), James Faulkner, John Hastings, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Scott Boland

Pitch report: "There has been a bit of rain around. It has been a great wicket. There are a lot of cracks here, there is no grass. It's going to be another great game," says Damien Martyn.

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James Faulkner, known for his ability to bowl a stream of slower ones, prised out de Silva after the opening pair had given the home side a cracking start. De Silva lofted the off-cutter straight into the hands of the mid-on fielder. Zampa then provided more cheer for the tourists by castling Gunathilaka with a slider.

This has been an amazing turnaround as Sri Lanka were cruising at 73 for no loss in the 14th over, but now they are tottering at 78 for three in the 16th over. Mitchell Starc, who was thumped for a few boundaries in his first spell, made a roaring comeback by winkling out Chandimal. The Sri Lankan captain tried to steer it to third man and eked out an outside edge to the 'keeper. Tame dismissal indeed.

Kusal Mendis has been the find of the season for Sri Lanka. The promising batsman yet again made an impact with a flurry of shots. He started his innings with a sublime drive off Starc and then thwacked Zampa for a four and a six to lift Sri Lanka's spirits.

©Reuters

Just when it felt as if Kusal Mendis would amass a substantial score, Hastings got one to straighten off the pitch from wide of the crease to produce the outside edge and snare the scalp of the mainstay of the Sri Lankan batting order. Hastings has bowled some zest-filled spells in this series. Tharanga followed Mendis back to the pavilion as he couldn't get on top of the cut shot and offered an easy catch to Zampa.

Kusal Perera was given out leg before. However, he placed his belief in the review. It looked like Perera might have got an inside edge from one of the angles, but surprisingly, the third umpire felt he hadn't eked out an edge and the original decision was upheld. Poor decision I would say.

Shanaka attempted a half-hearted cut/dab to third man, but Zampa outfoxed him with a slider. The allrounder connected with thin air and was castled. The tourists are certainly in the ascendancy, here.

Starc bowled a peach to dislodge Dilruwan Perera. From round the wicket, he pitched it on a length and then it straightened to knock over the off-stump. Too good a delivery for Perera to keep out. Amazingly, Starc bowled another similar delivery to snare a couple of wickets in a row. Lakmal was the batsman cleaned up, this time around. Sachith Pathirana hung around for a while, before holing out to the mid-off fielder. This has been a clinical show by the visitors to skittle out Sri Lanka for just 195.

Sri Lanka struck early after Matthews Wade was given out on the review. Initially, Aleem Dar adjudged the appeal for a strangle down the leg side not out and even signalled a wide. However, Chandimal went for the review and on replays, it was clear that the left-hander had eked out a glove on his sweep to the 'keeper. Good review by Chandimal.

Khawaja, who has had a terrible time with the bat in the island nation, didn't last long either. He charged down the track, but Perera held it up nicely in the air. The left-hander could only get a leading edge to the fielder stationed at cover-point.

David Warner and George Bailey resurrected the innings with a 50 plus stand. On a track that started to assist the spinners in the second innings, both batsmen showed the required defence and waited for the loose ball to take advantage of it. The visitors look set to win the series 4-1. Warner also amassed a fine fifty.

Perera, eventually, nipped out Bailey leg before to end the 132-run stand between the Tasmanian and Warner. Bailey took the review, but replays showed that the ball pitched in line and projected it be clipping the leg-stump. As a result, Bailey had to make the long walk back to the pavilion. However, with Warner in fine fettle, Australia look set to canter to victory.

Warner, who had amassed just 38 runs before today's game, made a splendid comeback with a noteworthy hundred. He looked like a relieved man as he acknowledged the cheers from his teammates. Incidentally, he is the first Australian to aggregate a century in the 50-over format in the island nation.

Australia lost both Head and Warner at the fag end of the chase, but by then, it was just a matter of time before the visitors would overhaul the target. Australia, eventually, pipped the hosts by five wickets in the 43rd over. The tourists would be thrilled to get back to winning ways, while Sri Lanka have a lot to ponder after hurtling towards another series defeat in the 50-over format.