COLOMBO, FEBRUARY 12
Charith Asalanka scored a career-best 127 to help Sri Lanka beat Australia by 49 runs in the opener of a two-match one-day international cricket series on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 214 in 46 overs after Asalanka won the toss and elected to bat first at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium. Asalanka played a captain's innings and carried his team with his fourth ODI hundred in his 72nd game.
In reply, Australia was bowled out for 165 runs in 33.5 overs.
Fast bowler Spencer Johnson (2-44) quickly provided Australia with its first breakthrough, having opener Pathum Nissanka caught behind in the first over of the match. Opening partner Avishka Fernando fell in the next over when he was caught by Australia captain Steve Smith off fast bowler Aaron Hardie, who took 2-13 in six overs.
Kusal Mendis (19), Kamindu Mendis (5) and Janith Liyanage (11) fell in quick succession to leave the hosts precariously placed on 55 runs for five wickets.
But Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage's 67-run partnership off 68 deliveries for the sixth wicket provided Sri Lanka with a base for a competitive total.
Wellalage made a useful 30 off 34, including a six and two boundaries, before being caught by Smith off spinner Matthew Short.
Sri Lanka looked in trouble again at 135-8 after losing two more quick wickets, but No. 10 batter Eshan Malinga came to Asalanka's assistance by keeping his captain company in a 79-run ninth wicket stand in which he contributed just one run.
Asalanka hit 127 off 126 deliveries, including five sixes and 14 fours.
Fast medium Sean Abbott took 3-61.
Asalanka said the innings was probably his best, taking into account the match situation and playing conditions.
"It wasn't easy batting out there," Asalanka said. "The ball was seaming around until about the 15th over which is unusual at this wicket."
He said beating the world champions was a confidence booster for Sri Lanka which suffered a 2-0 rout in the test series against Australia and failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy tournament to played in Pakistan later this month.
Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando struck in the first over of Australia's chase by trapping Short lbw with no score on the board. In his second over he had Jake Fraser-McGurk caught and bowled. Cooper Connolly and Smith, too, were dismissed quickly to leave Australia at 31-4.
Alex Carey and Manus Labuschagne added 52 for the fifth wicket at around a run-a-ball pace
Labuschagne was out lbw by Maheesh Theekshana and in the following over Carey also departed, caught by Nissanka in the deep for 41 which effectively ended his team's chances.
Theekshana took 4-40 while Fernando and Wellalage had two wickets each
Australia rested front-line players Travis Head, Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell. Sri Lanka made one change from its last ODI against New Zealand in Auckland in January - Wellalage replaced Chamindu Wickramasinghe.
The series is a warmup for the Australians ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Australia won the recently concluded test series 2-0.
