T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 1, AUS v SL: Stoinis single-handedly secures win for Australia with 59*(18)

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, Super 12, Group 1, Australia v Sri Lanka: Marcus Stoinis' 59, Glenn Maxwell's 1-5 & 23 and Charith Asalanka's 38 are top three performances. Australia beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in Super 12s game.

Marcus Stoinis hit the fastest T20I fifty for Australia (Photo: ©ICC/Getty)

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 157/6 (Nissanka 40, Asalanka 38*, Starc 1/23) lost to Australia 158/3 (Stoinis 59*, Finch 31*, de Silva 1/18) by 7 wickets

Player of the Match: Marcus Stoinis (59 off 18)

Resurgent Sri Lanka took on defending champions Australia for crucial two points. Sri Lanka who lost their first match of the tournament to newbie Namibia came back strongly to win their next two matches in Round 1 of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and qualify for the Super 12 stage. They posted their third straight win against Ireland before taking on Australia, who were shell-shocked when they were beaten by New Zealand by 89 runs in their opening match of Super 12.

Before the Super 12 match between the two teams, Australia won 15 and lost 10 T20Is against Sri Lanka.

Australia’s confidence will be sky-high after this win over Sri Lanka. It was a team effort where all-rounders played cameos, and batters and bowlers did their job. However, their skipper Aaron Finch needs to work on his timings and score at a brisk pace to let the middle order breathe easy. This win will erase some memories of their huge loss to New Zealand in the opening game.

Sri Lanka post a challenging total of 157/6

Sri Lanka lost their opener Kusal Mendis early for 5 as he mistimed a pull off Pat Cummins’ bowling to get snapped by Mitchell Marsh at mid-wicket. The bounce and swing on the wicket made life difficult for Sri Lanka batters with Australia bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc finding good purchase off the pitch. However, Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva weathered the early storm and stitched a stand of 69 runs in less than 10 overs. Just when they were looking to break loose, Nissanka was run-out in a mix-up with his partner de Silva. Nissanka fell for 40 off 45 balls with 2 fours.

Charith Asalanka then showed some urgency and played some attacking shots to bring some respectability to the total even as wickets kept falling at the other end. He ended up with a 25-ball 38* with 3 fours and 2 sixes to take Sri Lanka to 157/6.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 1, Aus v NZ: Conway 92*, Southee 3-6, Santner 3-31 help NZ smother Aus at SCG

Australia ride on Stoinis to sail through

Australia began the chase sedately, moving to 26 in 4 overs before the introduction of Maheesh Theekshana paid immediate dividends for Sri Lanka. Theekshana dismissed David Warner off the first ball he bowled, with the latter driving uppishly to Dasun Shanka for 11. Meanwhile, captain Aaron Finch struggled with his timings and was given a reprieve but still hung on. Mitchell Marsh tried to up the scoring rate, but perished for a 17-ball 18, with Australia struggling at 60/2 in the ninth over.

The dismissal brought Glenn Maxwell to the crease who smashed Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva for 2 fours and 1 six to bring the momentum back into the innings. But after a couple of quiet overs, Maxwell fell to a brilliant catch in the deep by substitute fielder, Ashen Bandara for 23 off 12 balls.

At 89/3, it was anybody’s game, with Finch struggling. But Marcus Stoinis then took matter into his hands, and went into a wild hitting mode, to slam 2 sixes and a four off Hasaranga’s over, and then smashed three sixes in the next over bowled by Theekshana. He thus raced to the fastest T20I fifty by an Australia player in T20Is off just 17 balls. A two off Finch’s bat then sealed the win.

Let’s take a look at the top three performances from the game between Sri Lanka and Australia in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Asalanka's 38 off 25 took Sri Lanka's total to 157 (Photo: ©ICC/Getty)

Charith Asalanka propels Sri Lanka to 150+ total

Charith Asalanka provided the necessary momentum to the innings when he came out to bat at number 4. He scored 38 not out off 25 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes. He switched on the attack mode even though wickets kept tumbling at the other end.

Asalanka slammed a six and a four off the last over bowled by Pat Cummins, with the help of another six from Chamika Karunaratne to take 20 off the last over, and give Sri Lanka a fighting total.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 1, IRE v SL: Mendis 68*, Theekshana-Hasaranga spin duo ensure victory for SL

Maxwell's 23 off 12 provides boost to Aus chase in the middle (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Glenn Maxwell’s all-round heroics (1-5 & 23 off 12 deliveries) gives Australia strength

Glenn Maxwell who found struggling with his form recently in T20Is, played a cameo with both bat and ball in the match. He dismissed the dangerous Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka stumped for 3 when the skipper was just looking to get some big hits going.

Maxwell came in to bat at a crucial phase with Australia’s innings struggling to gain momentum. He took on Sri Lanka’s spinners to play a brilliant cameo of a 12-ball 23 with 2 fours and 2 sixes for other hitters to finish off the game. Maxwell smashed Hasaranga for two sixes and one four in 10th over.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, R1, Gr A, SL v NED: Mendis 79, Hasaranga 3-28 take Sri Lanka through to Super 12

Stoinis' quick fire fifty (59 off 18) boosts Australia's NRR (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Marcus Stoinis (59* from 18 deliveries) single-handedly wins the game for Australia

For Marcus Stoinis, the stage was set for him to go bang-bang as Australia needed almost 9 runs per over when he came out to bat in the 13th over. He went hard at Sri Lanka’s spinners and punished their bowling with fours and sixes.

His hitting was clean and didn’t spare the faster bowlers as well. With Finch struggling, Stoinis took the game by the neck and finished it off without breaking a sweat. In the process, Perth-born Stoinis scored the fastest T20I fifty by an Australia batter off just 17 balls.

Marcus Stoinis was named player of the match for his match-winning knock (59 off 18).

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Group 2, IND vs PAK: Kohli's unbelievable 82* bamboozles Pakistan; India win

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 Group 1 Points Table

Group 1 Points Table

Points Table Scenario & What’s Next

For Australia, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. They need to win their remaining matches by a big margin to stay in the hunt for semis. They next face England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 28. Australia find themselves at the fourth place with 2 points from 2 games and their net run rate (NRR) stands at -1.555.

Sri Lanka’s three-match winning streak ended with this loss. But they have the ability to bounce back quickly from a loss to post a morale-boosting win as they have shown recently in Asia Cup and in this World T20. They next face New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 29. Sri Lanka are at the third place with 2 points from 2 games and an NRR of 0.450.

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