Chandimal ton drives Sri Lanka to 226

DAMBULLA: Tillakaratne Dilshan farewelled ODI cricket with 42 and a bow, but Dinesh Chandimal stole the show with his fourth one-day international century as Sri Lanka set Australia 227 for victory in the third game in Dambulla. David Warner's first act as Australia's stand-in captain was to call incorrectly at the toss, but on the field he marshalled his men effectively, maintaining the pressure on Sri Lanka as wickets fell regularly.

Adam Zampa was once again a key weapon, collecting 3 for 38 from his 10 overs, and there were two each for Mitchell Starc, John Hastings and James Faulkner as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 226 with four balls to spare. Chandimal just had time to reach triple figures with a drive through cover for a single off his 128th delivery, in the penultimate over off Starc, before he was the last man out skying a catch off Faulkner.

Of late in one-day cricket, Chandimal has been batting like he's Keanu Reeves in Speed, afraid something terrible will happen if he drops below 50. He did so, marginally, in the second ODI in Colombo, where his 48 ended his hopes of becoming the first Sri Lankan to make six consecutive ODl fifties. But in Dambulla he was back above the mark. His last seven ODI innings now read: 52, 62, 63, 53, 80*, 48 and 102.

Chandimal was the only real steadying influence throughout the Sri Lankan innings. His approach was simple: push the ball into the gaps and rotate the strike. Repeat, and repeat. That method brought him 56 singles, although he managed seven boundaries as well, driving when the fast men overpitched or punishing them for bowling too straight. His half-century came up with a deft dab for four wide of the wicketkeeper off Hastings from his 66th ball.

The only half-century partnership for the innings was the 73-run stand between Chandimal and Dilshan, the retiring hero who struck five fours on his way to an entertaining 42. But any hopes of a big farewell innings ended when Dilshan whacked a Zampa full toss to midwicket and was well caught by George Bailey. To the applause of players and fans, Dilshan walked off with a bow, the owner of 10,290 ODI runs, the 11th-highest tally in history.

For the second time in this series - and the fourth time on the tour, Tests included - Starc struck in the first over of an innings. This time Danushka Gunathilaka poked at a good-length delivery and chopped on for 5. It continued Sri Lanka's wretched record of opening partnerships in the Tests and ODIs against Australia - their highest so far is 12, set in the previous ODI.

The score wobbled to 23 for 2 when Kusal Mendis edged Josh Hazlewood to slip for 4 and after the Chandimal-Dilshan stand, the wickets fell with regularity once again. Angelo Mathews was lbw for 2 to Zampa, Aleem Dar's correct on-field call upheld after a review from Mathews - Zampa had pitched the ball on leg stump and straightened it enough to trap Mathews.

In the following over came the moment Australia could yet live to regret, when Chandimal - on 40 at the time - edged Hazlewood and was put down low to the ground by Warner at gully.

Shaun Marsh ran and jumped to his left at mid-on to snare Dhananjaya de Silva for 12 off James Faulkner, and he also held one in the deep when Thisara Perera holed out off John Hastings for 9. In between those takes, Starc's brutal inswinging yorker accounted for Kusal Perera, who kept one out but could not manage two and saw his stumps rattled on 11.

Seekkuge Prasanna picked out deep midwicket off Zampa and Dilruwan Perera added 17 before chipping a catch to midwicket off Hastings, which left Chandimal nervously hoping the No.11 Amila Aponso could help him reach triple figures. Aponso was able to do so, and what he can muster with the ball will be one of the keys to whether Sri Lanka can defend this total.