Australia have copped their second straight shellacking from Sri Lanka, a team that did not even qualify for the Champions Trophy, to put their tournament plans in disarray.
A second Sri Lankan century in as many matches put Australia under pressure when Kusal Mendis made 101 from 115 balls as Sri Lanka scored 4-281 from their 50 overs in the second and final ODI against Sri Lanka at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
And then the Aussies were rolled for an abysmal 104 to lose by 174 runs, slumping from 3-33 before losing their final seven wickets for just 28 runs in an atrocious batting display.
They were probably lucky to score that many with Josh Inglis surviving a controversial stumping decision even though it appeared he did not get his back foot behind the line.
It was the first time that Australia have lost all their matches during nine one-day series in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s previous largest one-day victory over Australia was 82 runs at the same venue in 2016.
While Australia avoided their lowest one-day score against Sri Lanka, 74 at Brisbane’s Gabba in 2013, it was easily their lowest one-day score in Sri Lanka, going under the 124 they made at the SSC Ground in Colombo in 1983.
Mendis followed captain Charith Asalanka’s 127 off 126 balls, with 14 fours and five sixes, setting up a 49-run victory on Wednesday. Asalanka had another imposing innings in game two, scoring an unbeaten 78 from 66 balls as Sri Lanka finished strongly.
Matt Short followed up his duck in the opening game to be trapped in front for two and Jake Fraser-McGurk failed to make the most of his recall at No.3, spooning a catch to mid-off on nine.
When opener Travis Head was out to a diving catch from a full-blooded pull shot, the Aussies were in strife.
But captain Steve Smith (29) and Inglis steadied the ship before the keeper was bowled while playing back to spinner Dunith Wellalage.
Aaron Hardie fell to Hasaranga without scoring before Glenn Maxwell was out for one to a superb ball from Wellalage which pitched on middle and hit the top of off stump.
When Smith and Sean Abbott both perished after being trapped in front, the match was as good as over with the tourists on 8-86.
Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha scrambled the total to at least get over the hundred mark but not much further as the Aussies copped a hiding in their final warm-up match before the tournament gets under way in Pakistan.
Australia made five changes from the first they lost at the same ground, with Head and Maxwell returning to strengthen a severely weakened side. Head was rested while Maxwell had been ill.
Marnus Labuschagne and Cooper Connolly were left out along with top-scorer for Australia in the first match, Alex Carey, who has made way for Inglis. He missed the first match recovering from back spasms suffered during the second Test.
Paceman Ben Dwarshuis and legspinner Tanveer Sangha replaced Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis.
Sri Lanka won the toss and batted on a dry and unresponsive pitch.
After the early loss of Pathum Nissanka (six), Nishan Madushka (51 in 70 balls) combined with Kusal Mendis to build a solid foundation through a 98-run partnership.
Australia used seven bowlers including four spinners, Adam Zampa, Maxwell, Sangha and Matt Short, but Zampa was the only one to claim a wicket.
Dwarshuis, competing with fellow left-armer Spencer Johnson for the Champion’s Trophy place left vacant by Mitchell Starc, bounced out Madushka thanks to a juggling catch on the boundary by Zampa.
Kamindu Mendis managed just four in eight balls before chopping a slower ball from Abbott into his stumps.
with AAP
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