Sri Lanka hammer Australia in record 174-run rout

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka spinner Dunith Wellalage took four wickets to give a hapless Australia their lowest ever total in Asia with a 174-run loss in Friday´s second and final ODI.

Chasing a target of 282 in Colombo, a much-changed Australia testing their lineup for next week´s Champions Trophy were bundled out for a meager 107. The spectacular collapse saw them lose their last seven wickets for just 28 runs.

“Not the best result we wanted. We used lot of players and everyone got a game,” Australia skipper Steve Smith said. “Credit to Sri Lanka. They deserved the series win. We struggled a bit in Colombo... Their bowlers were superb.”

Asitha Fernando set the tone with a fiery opening spell of 3-23 in four overs before the spinners tightened the screws. Wellalage triggered the collapse, bamboozling Josh Inglis with a skiddy arm ball that crashed into the stumps. In his next over, he delivered another peach, rattling the dangerous Glenn Maxwell´s timber to finish 4-35.

Wanindu Hasaranga joined the party from the other end to take three more including Smith, who was trapped plumb in front. This emphatic victory sealed a 2-0 series win for Sri Lanka against the defending world champions and propelled them to fifth in the ODI rankings.

It also told the cricketing world that Sri Lanka´s absence from the upcoming Champions Trophy, after finishing ninth in the 2023 World Cup, will be felt. “Not often you beat Australia,” Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said.

“Today was our day and the spinners did a superb job,” he added. “We are disappointed that we are not in the Champions Trophy... the important thing is that we don´t get into a similar situation again.”

Sri Lanka´s batting had been under the microscope in recent weeks, but the top order silenced critics with a commanding display. Kusal Mendis was the star of the show, crafting a superb 101 -- his fifth ton in ODIs and first against Australia.

He found ample support from half-centuries by Nishan Madushka (51) and Asalanka. Fresh from a match-winning hundred in the opener, Asalanka bludgeoned an unbeaten 78 off just 66 balls, peppering the boundary with six fours and three towering sixes. The foundation was laid by a 98-run partnership between Kusal and Madushka for the second wicket, stabilising the innings after an early loss.

Kusal then built on the momentum, stitching a 94-run stand with Asalanka for the fourth wicket. Australia made five changes as they fine-tune their lineup ahead of next week´s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai.

Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Travis Head, Josh Inglis and Ben Dwarshuis all came in. Out went Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne, Cooper Connolly, Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis.