Sri Lanka vs Australia | Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 2025 | 1st ODI

Welcome back for Australia's response with the bat! The umpires and players are out to the middle. Sri Lankan players spread out to their respective fielding positions. Out walks the Australian opening pair of Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk. Asitha Fernando has the new ball and will kickoff the Sri Lankan defence with a couple of slips in place. Short to face and off we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Well then, we have seen some remarkable resistance from Sri Lanka's skipper when the rest of the batters faltered. But now, it is time for the bowlers to step up and perform. Since it is a day game, the pitch will slow down further and that's where the Sri Lankan spinners could come handy. But if Sri Lanka are to win this game, they will have to snag all ten wickets of this potent Australian batting unit that bats deep. Stick around, as the run chase is up next shortly.

Nathan Ellis is up for a quick chat and says that he is feeling good and went in not knowing what the wicket would be like. Adds that it is a good performance nonetheless. Says that a lot of boys came in from the Big Bash League into these hot conditions, so adapting was key. Mentions that at the start if you said 214 on the board, they would have taken it with both hands. Adds that the ball nipped around in the first 10 overs. Hopefully, the boys will go out there and do the job. When asked about spin, he said that it is not sure how much of a role spin will play and concludes by saying that Short and Adam Zampa bowled well.

Asalanka, proved to be a crisis man for Sri Lanka. He first faced the dual responsibility of scoring runs and guiding the tailenders. With partners falling around him, Asalanka stood firm, ensuring his side surpassed a significant milestone and also reached a century of his own. Eshan Malinga's modest contribution proved a valuable foil to his captain. In order to avoid the risk of being bowled out before the allotted overs, Asalanka protected the tail and consistently found boundaries once he had settled in. But once he fell, Australia went for the kill, but not before Sri Lanka crossed over the 200-run mark.

Amidst a challenging situation, Charith Asalanka's experience shone through as he strategically found boundaries while keeping the score moving. Dunith Wellalage offered valuable support, skillfully maneuvering the ball to sustain their partnership. Just as Asalanka and Wellalage found their rhythm, adeptly handling the spinners through the middle overs, the innings faced further setbacks. Wickets fell consistently at the other end, but Asalanka remained steadfast.

Sri Lanka's technical frailties proved contagious, with static feet leading to a procession of edges - batters repeatedly fishing outside off with their feet stuck in crease. It was a dream day for Australia's makeshift pace attack. Despite missing their frontline pacers to injury, the understudies stepped up brilliantly. Abbott and Ellis, though relatively experienced, also looked right at home with accurate lines and lengths.

After the early carnage, Asalanka and Liyanage shouldered the rescue mission, but runs came at a crawl against Australia's stranglehold. Steven Smith kept the pressure cooker on with tight fields, forcing the Lankan pair to scrap for every run. Just when their partnership threatened to shift momentum, Sean Abbott shattered the resistance, leaving Sri Lanka back at square one.

On a bone-dry surface that promised little, Australia's pacers crafted a masterclass in new ball bowling. Spencer Johnson and Aaron Hardie exploited whatever movement was on offer, while Sri Lanka's batters struggled with their footwork. By the time the dust settled, the scoreboard read a worrying 39/4 inside the first Powerplay. The decimation of the top order, including key men Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, left Sri Lanka staring down the barrel early in the piece.

From losing half of their side on a meager score of 55, Sri Lanka have ended their innings with a total of 214 on the board. Yes, they will be disappointed that they couldn't bat for the allotted overs, but this innings potentially could've been wrapped up way before had Charith Asalanka not stepped up and mounted a strong resistance with the bat. Also, as per the on-air commentators, Sri Lanka might feel they left 15-20 runs than the par score here and could have gone past that had they played the remaining overs.