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Sri Lanka has bounced back to level the ODI series, after easily dispatching Australia by 8 wickets at the Adelaide Oval last night.
Set 171 for victory, the Sri Lankans cruised home in the 41st over, guided by man-of-the-match Lahiru Thirimanne.
After winning the toss Sri Lanka sent Australia into bat under overcast skies, following a brief delay due to a wet outfield.
The Australians further highlighted their willingness to share the bowling workload, unveiling two more debutants following the three in Melbourne.
Ben Cutting and local seamer Kane Richardson relieved Mitchells Starc and Johnson of niggling complaints, while Steve Smith replaced Usman Khawaja.
The Australian innings started with the token running mishap, when Aaron Finch, in just his second game, clipped the third delivery of the day straight to square leg and immediately set off for a suicidal single. Fortunately for Finch, Dilshan’s throw went wide despite Hughes conceding his fate mid-pitch.
Like his Melbourne debut, Finch never looked comfortable, eventually chipping an Angelo Mathews delivery to cover for just four.
Hughes followed soon after, leg before to Nuwan Kulasekara for just three, rewarding the Sri Lankans’ consistent line and length.
The Australians were teetering at 2/12, with seven overs without a boundary as David Hussey joined captain George Bailey at the crease.
The first boundary of the innings finally came in the tenth over courtesy of Bailey, but its lengthy arrival exemplified Sri Lanka’s commitment to tight bowling in favourable conditions.
Bailey struck a few more lusty blows including an authoritative pull for six, before falling attempting the same stroke, smartly caught at midwicket by Lahiru Thirimanne off Lasith Malinga.
Steve Smith’s return to the international scene showed promise but was all too brief as he was caught and bowled by Thissara Perera, feathering an expansive off-drive for just eight, leaving Australia four down inside 20 overs.
Despite the regular fall of wickets, Hussey defied the Sri Lankans with a typical counter-attacking display, picking off the bad deliveries and constantly rotating the strike.
He ran into trouble on 29, when he pushed a delivery to the leg-side for Tillakaratne Dilshan to pounce and this time he made no mistake. Hussey uncharacteristically hesitated mid-pitch, and it cost him dearly as he was found well short of his mark.
The carnage continued next over when Maxwell fell for an unflattering eight, caught at the wicket off Mathews. Maxwell looked to be positive from the word go, however it eventually bought about his downfall as he fell walking into a drive.
Brad Haddin and debutant Ben Cutting united in the middle with the Australian’s in monumental trouble at 6/83.
But the pair were determined to set the Sri Lankans a competitive score in tricky seaming conditions.
Cutting in particular looked poised, and showed a sound technique which has reaped him more than 300 runs at an average of 38.66 in the Sheffield Shield this year.
He combined with Haddin for a dogged 57-run partnership, before Cutting was caught behind slashing outside off stump for a useful 27.
Richardson and McKay fell in quick succession, as Haddin guided the Australian total to 170 with a gritty half-century.
For the Sri Lankans, Malinga took home the chocolates with 3/32 but it was Kulasekara (1/24) and Angelo Mathews (2/24) who set the tone early, with probing deliveries and regular wickets which ensured the Australian innings never left first gear.
Defending an under-par total, the Australians needed to take advantage of the new ball. Clint McKay did just that with the third delivery of the Sri Lankan innings, having Upul Tharanga caught behind without troubling the scorers.
Thirimanne leapfrogged his skipper at number three, joining Dilshan for a watchful stand.
The pair cautiously saw off the new ball threat, knowing full well if they got through the allotted overs from each of the three quick bowlers they should sail home comfortably.
On a greenish pitch the Australian XI appeared a pace bowler short, missing the services of Shane Watson or Daniel Christian.
Thirimanne and Dilshan both cruised to half-centuries, as their match-winning stand of 137 paved the way for the comprehensive victory.
Dilshan will no doubt be disappointed he couldn’t finish the job for the tourists as he gifted Cutting his maiden international scalp, spooning a catch straight to Maxwell at point.
Thirimanne brought up his maiden international century off the final delivery, cutting Maxwell to the point boundary to finish the chase unbeaten 102.
The century continued what has been a promising tour for the 23-year-old following his 91 in the third Test in Sydney.
For the hosts Kane Richardson showed promise, asking questions with the new ball before he was bizarrely disqualified from bowling.
Richardson received three strikes for running in the “danger zone” of the pitch after completing just six overs.
The ODI series continues in Brisbane next week.
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