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Australia were wiped out by a resurgent Sri Lanka in the second ODI cricket final tonight to force the finals series to a third decider. The Roar‘s live commentary talked us through the cricket equivalent of a bodyslam, after two Australian centuries had the hosts confident at the halfway mark.
Sunday’s first final ended as a corker after threatening to become a snorefest, as Sri Lanka awoke from a slumber to score over 300 batting second, and nearly pull off a miraculous chase of Australia’s 321. Tonight they got it right, hunting down 272 on a much more placid deck with more than five overs to spare.
When Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat, it was Brisbane deja vu, with a David Warner century providing the backbone for a substantial. But Brisbane saw several members of the top order chip in, while today it was all up to Warner and Michael Clarke.
Warner was deemed unlikely to play due to his groin strain, but was eventually passed fit. It’s unclear how accurate that assessment was, as he looked hampered in making a subdued 100 from 140 balls. The criticism has already started that Warner’s knock was too slow, though a century at a strike rate of over 70 has traditionally been a good structure around which to build an innings.
Michael Clarke did his best to play the aggressor, hitting out with considerable freedom despite his recent back troubles. Having cruised into the 60s at a run a ball, he exploded to finish with 117 from 91, including a Farveez Maharoof over that went for 23. In terms of style and ease, it was probably his best one-day innings, but it was ruined by a twinged hamstring late in the day.
Between them the pair added 184. But Warner could have looked for the boundary earlier – he struck only four of them and one six in his innings – while Australia’s finishers failed to live up to their name. Lasith Malinga’s last three overs yielded 3/13, claiming the wickets of Warner and both Hussey brothers, while Clarke was out in the penultimate over to a sensational Rangana Herath run-out one ball after the spinner had dropped Clarke at midwicket.
All up Australia scored only 35 in its last five overs, along with some fairly modest returns from the Powerplays. 271 looked a little light on this pitch. But no-one would have any idea how light until the Sri Lankan innings began.
Retrospect makes geniuses of us all, and a couple of early wickets would have made 272 seem very distant. Instead Sri Lanka got early gifts from Brett Lee, James Pattinson, and Clint McKay. Wides, byes and boundaries saw the visitors reach 0/30 after just three overs.
From there, it was all Sri Lanka’s way. The two openers hit boundaries at will, forcing Clarke to call on Xavier Doherty by just the seventh over. A period of consolidation only presaged Jayawardene opening his range to look for sixes as well as fours.
The Sri Lankan skipper was playing angry, after an incident while fielding in which a Clarke protest had led to the umpires posthumously calling a no-ball for height. Jayawardene argued the the opposing captain shouldn’t be able to influence the umpire’s call, and angrily remonstrated for a prolonged period that could draw the attention of the match referee.
Now, he took this out on the ball, as his strike rate never dipped below 100, outpacing even the aggressive Dilshan.
Dilshan, for his part, tried one Dilscoop that smashed him in the forehead, breaking his helmet. Not to be cowed, he went again in the same over and got the second attempt away for four.
The pair posted a scarcely credible opening partnership of 179 from 163 balls before Jayawardene finally fell lbw to Pattinson. He had scored 80 from 76. Dilshan went on to a celebrate a century prematurely when the scoreboard accidentally had him two runs ahead of his real total, then passed the true milestone without even noticing.
He took Sri Lanka to within 38 of the target before holing out to Mike Hussey in the deep from Lee for 106, leaving it to Sangakkara to take the side effortlessly home with a crisply struck and undefeated 51. Dinesh Chandimal had a run-a-ball 17.
No Australian bowler threatened tonight, though death-bowling specialist Clint McKay was recalled today for Hilfenhaus after being missed on Sunday night. David Hussey bowled only one over after picking up a career-best four wickets on Sunday.
Both sides would be exhausted after a hectic schedule in the lead-up – this was Sri Lanka’s fourth game in eight days, and the third final will make it five in ten. The Australians, meanwhile, are walking wounded, with Warner the worse for wear and Clarke wounded. (A lot of W in that sentence…)
Sri Lanka will be tired, but they have the momentum now, and they look to be taking a joy in their work that is conspicuously absent from the Australian camp. Those Aussies, remember, will be rewarded for their efforts this Thursday by boarding a plane for the West Indies the following day. The rewards of life as a modern cricketer.
So here we are, at the final of the finals’ final stage. The season-long rope-a-dope continues for one more round. It only remains to be seen which punch-drunk contender can lurch off the corner post to land a telling blow.
For this and other unnecessary sporting metaphors, join The Roar‘s live commentary on Thursday and make your contribution. Find the article, click the article, and scroll down, friends and neighbours. Just scroll down.