Sri Lanka scripts memorable 4-run win to take unbeatable series lead

Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka celebrates his maiden ODI century

Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella (left) reacts after Australia's David Warner (right) dismissal with 99 runs – AFP

• Charith Asalanka hits maiden ODI ton

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka scripted a memorable four-run win over Australia in the fourth ODI to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series at the R Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

The win meant that Sri Lanka had defeated Australia in a five-match ODI series for the first time and won an ODI series against them since 1992 on home soil.

When Sri Lanka invited to bat first by Australia after Aaron Finch had won his seventh successive toss of the tour, a total of 258 looked always gettable especially after Sri Lanka made the cardinal mistake of not lasting the 50 overs. They were bowled out one over short due to some dim-witted cricket that saw them lose their last three wickets for two runs off nine balls two of them through run outs.

With the series on the line Australia took up the challenge with David Warner playing the lead role stitching together useful partnerships that kept them in the hunt. Even after his dismissal at 192 for a well composed knock of 99 off 112 balls (12 fours), Australia never gave up the chase so that it almost came to the wire. 

In fact, Warner came pretty close to scoring a hundred in any format since January 2020. He has played 48 innings across all formats since and reached fifty 16 times including three 90s.

With 19 required off the final over and the last pair at the wicket it looked a tough ask for Australia. But to everyone’s surprise skipper Dasun Shanaka brought himself on instead of a spinner (Jeffrey Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage had eight overs left between them). Shanaka was to admit after the match that after Chamika Karunaratne bowled the 49th over they had a discussion about bowling a spinner, and it was the right idea to challenge himself.

Using Shanaka’s medium pace to good effect Matthew Kuhnemann almost single-handedly pulled off a win for Australia scoring 14 runs off the first five balls that included three fours. With five required off the last ball, Kuhnemann going for a big hit miscued to cover for the catch to be held by Charith Asalanka, whose maiden ODI hundred had been the cornerstone on which Sri Lanka built their total after losing the first three wickets for 34 by the 10th over.

Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva steadied the ship with a fourth wicket stand of 101. De Silva playing fluently for 60 off 61 balls (7 fours) made the task easy for Asalanka to play a long innings which he did with superb control. 

Asalanka who took the Player of the Match award hit 10 fours and a six in scoring 110 off 106 balls and with Dunith Wellalage (19) promoted in the batting ahead of Chamika Karunaratne and Wanindu Hasaranga, added 57 useful runs for the sixth wicket before the latter part of the innings collapsed in a heap. The two teams will go into the fifth and final ODI at the same venue on Friday but with a dead rubber to play for.