T20Is: After Super Over thriller, Sri Lanka hope to reverse their fortunes against Australia

Canberra:  Hosts Australia will look to wrap up the T20I series against Sri Lanka, while the tourists will hope to turn around their fortunes when the two clash in the third of the five-match rubber at the Manuka Oval here later on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka have shown positive signs in the previous two games but a win has eluded the tourists. They now find themselves in a spot of bother and have to win all three games to take the series away from the hosts, who were stretched to the Super Over in the second T20I at the Sydney Cricket ground.

After a comfortable win in the first T20I, world T20 champions Australia were made to earn their victory in the second match of the series that went into a Super Over. Though they are 2-0 up, Australia will be looking for improvements in the third T20I, especially in the batting department. In both matches thus far, the hosts have failed to finish the game despite the top order laying a strong foundation to go big in the second half of the innings.

Limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch has already hinted at a change in the bowling combination in the post-match presentation. He will also be forced to tinker with the batting line-up after Steve Smith was ruled out of the rest of the T20Is after suffering a concussion while trying to save a six in the final over of the second match.

As for Sri Lanka, they will be expecting a lot more from their batters, despite them making a game of it in the second match. In both the games, it has been the collective efforts of the bowlers that kept Australia at bay in the second half of the innings.

The visitors will be boosted by the possible return of Kusal Mendis, who will be out of quarantine after testing positive a few days before the start of the T20I series.

In the second T20I at SCG, which turned out to be a thriller, both teams ended with scores all squares, forcing the match into a Super Over. Put in, Australia were cruising in the first innings, with Josh Inglis leading the charge with 48. However, the hosts failed to finish well with Sri Lanka bowlers yet again coming back strongly in the second half of the innings. Australia, who at one point were 92/2 after 11 overs finished at 164/6.

Sri Lanka got off to a poor start in their chase, with three wickets falling in the Powerplay, two of which Josh Hazlewood picked up. Pathum Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal led the recovery but it was captain Dasun Shanaka that provided the much-needed impetus with a 19-ball 34. With 19 required from the last over, Nissanka, along with the lower-order, forced a Super Over, with Dushmantha Chameera smashing a four off the last ball.

The Super Over turned out to be a one-sided affair with Josh Hazlewood stifling Sri Lanka to just five runs, which Australia chased down in just three balls to go 2-0 up in the series.

“The boys showed the character. These youngsters take the fight on. I’m really impressed by the performance. Nissanka is a world-class player,” said Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka after the thriller.

Finch added, “We bowled some great overs, bowled some poor overs. Fielding was pretty poor. The pitch got better towards the end as the dew came in. Happy with the totals we’ve got. We’ll tinker around. One of the bowlers will rest.”

IANS