Stats: Sri Lanka create massive record with thrilling win over Australia in 3rd T20I

Sri Lanka finished the T20I series against Australia with a four-wicket win at Pallekele on Saturday night. Australia headed into this game with the series win already sealed. But Sri Lanka won the match and now will enter the upcoming five-match ODI series with better morale and spirit.

Australia decided to bat first on the batting-friendly pitch at Pallekele, after chasing down low scores in the first two matches. Once again, Aaron finch and David Warner started well with a 43-run partnership. But Sri Lankan bowlers came back well in the middle overs with three back-to-back wickets. Marcus Stoinis and Steve Smith formed a good partnership later and guided their team to a respectable total of 176/5 in 20 overs. Young off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana was the best bowler for Sri Lanka with two wickets for just 25 runs.

The home side also made a good start but struggled to keep the required run-rate under the control. Pathum Nisanka played a good knock of 27 runs but that came from 25 balls. Sri Lanka lost their sixth wicket with just 108 runs on the scoreboard and with just 4.2 overs remaining.

Dasun Shanaka guides Sri Lanka to a big T20I record

Star all-rounder then Dasun Shanka played a captain’s knock in the last three overs. He was on just six runs off 12 balls and before hitting Australia’s best bowler Josh Hazlewood for 21 runs with two sixes and two fours in the 18th over. He and Chamika Karunaratne scored 18 runs more in the next over but still required 19 runs from the last one. The previous match’s hero Kane Richardson started with two wide balls but gave only two singles from the next two. But the Sri Lankan skipper hit 4, 4, and 6 off the next three balls with just one run required from the last ball. And Kane bowled another wide to hand over a thrilling win to a home side.

Sri Lanka scored a massive 59 runs in the last three overs with Shanaka remaining unbeaten on 54 runs from just 25 balls. These 59 runs proved to be the most runs chased in the last three overs in any T20I game around the world. Shanaka also became the first player to score 50 or more runs in the last three overs of a T20I chase.  Meanwhile, Australia are still a clear favorite to win the upcoming ODI series starting at Palleleke next Tuesday but the home side will be definitely boosted from this thrilling win.