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The last game of the summer, and the big finish we’ve all been hoping for: Australian take on Sri Lanka in the deciding final of the one day series at the Adelaide Oval. We’ll bring you the live scores and commentary of the action starting at 2:20pm AEDT (1:50pm local) on Thursday.
Australia have looked sharp but mix their form with period of flat play, where they seem fragile at the end of a long summer.
Sri Lanka have taken full advantage when this has happened, and looked much better this entire series than their opponents. The head-to-head statistic is 4-2 in favour of the visitors, and tells no lies about the gulf between the two sides that will take field in the third final on Thursday.
The visitors had gone into the first final with a lot of confidence under their belt but without two of those who had inspired such feeling in the camp – Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews. As a result they conceded aplenty and for the first time in the tournament looked like going down without a fight.
Upul Tharanga changed that around with a gritty half-century and Nuwan Kulasekara almost won Sri Lanka the game with a lusty 43-ball 73.
Australia weren’t so lucky in the second final though. Despite centuries from Dave Warner and Michael Clarke, they managed only 271 and on a placid track, it seemed slightly below-par as Warner saw more than 60 dot balls in his unusually slow century.
Sri Lanka’s reply made a mockery of the target as Tillakaratne Dilshan smacked the third hundred of the match to guide Sri Lanka to a finals-levelling win.
The hosts will now be without their captain Michael Clarke, who has damaged his hamstring, while Dave Warner remains a suspect with his groin strain. Add a broken foot for Brett Lee to the mix and we are looking at a wounded Australian side.
George Bailey, who recently made his T20I debut for the national side, could be in line for his ODI game if Warner misses out. In-form Peter Forrest should return to the 11 for Clarke.
Sri Lanka have preferred chasing scores in this tournament but on a pitch that was already on the slower side and one that will also be used again for this game, it could be a wise idea to bat first.
There could also be a chance of Sri Lanka playing an extra spinner, Sachitra Senanayake, in place of a batsman but a lot could depend on whether the management deems it necessary to take in an extra batsman instead.
The fans will hope that two teams will look to call upon every remaining ounce of strength at the fag end of such a long series and deliver another exciting thriller. That, after all, has been the theme of the series whenever these two teams have played in this tournament.
We will bring you the coverage throughout this third final of the CB series between Australia and Sri Lanka from Adelaide and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
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