Sri Lanka Defeats Australia by Historic 174 Runs to Complete ODI Series Sweep

Colombo, Feb 14 (NationPress) Sri Lanka showcased an outstanding display, dismissing Australia for their lowest-ever ODI score in Asia, achieving a resounding 174-run victory to finalize a commanding 3-0 series sweep at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Friday. This victory marks Sri Lanka's largest-ever win margin against Australia in ODIs, providing a significant statement as the visitors prepare for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

Chasing a target of 282, Australia collapsed to a mere 107, which stands as their eighth-lowest total in ODI history, revealing serious issues in their batting lineup. It was a shocking downturn for Steve Smith's team, who had arrived in Sri Lanka buoyed by a 2-0 Test series win but will now need to regroup swiftly with the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and UAE approaching fast.

The foundation of Sri Lanka's victory was laid by the exceptional performance of Kusal Mendis, who scored a brilliant century, anchoring the innings with a composed 101 off 115 balls, featuring 11 boundaries, setting the stage for the middle order to push the score further.

Partnering with opener Nishan Madushka, who contributed a steady 51, Mendis stabilized the innings after the early dismissal of Pathum Nissanka.

Australia's bowlers found it difficult to contain the Sri Lankan batters, with leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha going wicketless in his first ODI in almost 17 months. Among the spinners, Adam Zampa (1/47) was the only one to take a wicket, while Glenn Maxwell and Matt Short struggled to make an impact.

As the match progressed, skipper Charith Asalanka took control, scoring an aggressive unbeaten 78, well-supported by Janith Liyanage (32* off 21), as the duo added a vital 66-run partnership to elevate Sri Lanka to 281/5.

In their chase, Australia's top order faltered from the beginning. Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) and Matt Short (2) once again failed to make an impact, and Travis Head's run-a-ball 18 was curtailed, leaving Australia in dire straits at 33/3.

The wicketkeeper batter, replacing Alex Carey, and skipper Smith added a crucial 46 runs for the fourth wicket, but thereafter, the wickets tumbled for Australia. Smith, with 29, appeared promising but was deceived by Wanindu Hasaranga's googly and was given out.

Inglis was bowled by Dunith Wellalage at 22, who went on to claim four wickets for 35 runs.

After that, the innings spiraled down rapidly. The middle and lower order collapsed under persistent pressure, with no batter outside the top five reaching double figures. Australia lost their final seven wickets for merely 74 runs, culminating in a dismal total of 107.

However, it was Asitha Fernando's opening spell that gave the hosts an early advantage. The right-arm pacer, who claimed two wickets in the first ODI, wreaked havoc in the top order. He first dismissed Matt Short with a well-placed delivery hitting the stumps. Short attempted a pull shot but fell victim to a leg before wicket at a score of two.

He then took the wicket of Jake Fraser-McGurk, whose batting woes continued. Caught at mid-off by Asalanka, he departed for nine. Travis Head hit three boundaries in Fernando's opening over but succumbed to a short delivery.

With the Champions Trophy approaching, Australia's top-order issues are glaring. Fraser-McGurk’s struggles persisted, as the young batter fell within the initial five overs for the seventh time in his seven-match ODI career.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 281/4 in 50 overs (Kusal Mendis 101, Charith Asalanka 78; Sean Abbott 1-41, Ben Dwarshuis 1-47) defeated Australia 107 all out in 24.2 overs (Steve Smith 29, Josh Inglis 22; Dunith Wellalage 4-35, Wanindu Hasaranga 3-23) by 174 runs.