AUS v SL 2nd T20I Review: Asela Gunaratne guns down Australia in a last ball thriller

This Sri Lankan team a bunch of inexperienced youngsters termed incompetent for the highest level of the game has stunned most with their stupendous T20I performances. They beat the mighty South Africans in a series 2-1 in their backyard and headed to Australia with that confidence behind their back. The first two matches on this tour have gone down to the wire and were last ball nail-biting thrillers but the Aussies failed to close the games despite being in control for a substantial period.

Asela Gunaratne – the man of the hour, has done it twice in two days and took his team over the line. Some serious hitting and display of striking skills with an array of shots helped Sri Lanka score 50 runs in the last three overs to not only win the game but also the series. This is their 5th straight win in T20Is in Australia and their second consecutive overseas win.

Upul Tharanga won the toss and chose to bowl first having rediscovered a new avenue of chasing in the team. Bandara gave them a good start with the wicket of Aussie skipper Aaron Finch for 12. But Michael Klinger who has a great opportunity of announcing himself in the regular team as well played another good knock, he had a decent partnership with Ben Dunk before the latter was bowled by Gunaratne.

Klinger played until the 14th over and added another 40-run partnership with Moises Henriques to take the team over the 100-run mark before Bandara returned to induce an edge that was pouched by the keeper Niroshan Dickwella. Thereafter there was a flurry of wickets as Travis Head, Ashton Turner, James Faulkner, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, AJ Tye and Jhye Richardson were dismissed for single-digit scores.

Henriques was unbeaten with a half century on 56 from 37 balls and took his team to 173 in 20 overs. For Sri Lanka veteran, Nuwan Kulasekara was the pick of the bowlers as he dismissed 4 batsmen for 31 runs in his 4 overs, Lasith Malinga and Bandara complemented him well with a couple of wickets each.

Sri Lanka had a horrid start to their chase losing skipper Tharanga who hasn’t quite been at his best with the bat of late in the very first over. The second blow came in the third over and in no time they were 5 down for 40. It was Turner who gave them the first blow and then Faulkner, Andrew Tye and Richardson also joined the party.

At 40/5 in 4.3 overs a target of 174 looked well beyond reach but the nature of T20 cricket allows the teams to make a comeback in a snap and the smooth going for Australia was snapped when Asela Gunaratne walked out to the middle. The big hitter found a partner in Chamara Kapugedera and started the counter attack. He knows just one way of batting and that is to hit the ball all around the ground.

He displayed a wide array of shots down the ground, over the infield and behind the wicket as well to give Australian skipper Finch no chance to set a field. Smaller boundaries helped his cause and the ball was flying around the Simonds Stadium. Pat Cummins struck in the 13th over and sent back Kapugedera it was now a one man show. Gunaratne knew he was the one who had to do it. While he plundered the Australian bowlers he lost a couple of partners but was determined to take his team home.

With Malinga for company in the last over after Kulasekara was dismissed on the first ball and 14 were needed from 5. He hit a four and a six then trusted Malinga with a single who returned favors in the next ball. Sri Lanka now needed 2 from the last ball to script one of the most memorable comebacks and wins in recent times and Andrew Tye failed to nail it on the last ball twice in two days as Gunaratne hit it over the in-field for a boundary and his teammates all ecstatic joined him on the field jumping in joy at their achievement having defeated Australia in a series in their own backyard.

He was awarded the man of the match for his unbelievable 84-run knock that took just 46 deliveries – it included six boundaries and five sixes.

Watch: Asela Gunaratne clears the rope with ease

Play in thousand times, and you wont be tired watching it… REMEMBER THE NAME.. ASELA GUN RATNE !! #AUSvSL @RusselArnold69 @RoshanCricket pic.twitter.com/Ih4PfjmQky

— Nibraz Ramzan ?™ (@nibrazramzan) February 19, 2017

Brief Scores:

Australia: 173 all out in 20 overs (Moises Henriques 56*; Nuwan Kulasekara/31)

Sri Lanka: 176/8 in 20 overs (Asela Gunaratne 84*; James Faulkner 2/32)