Dasun Shanaka celebrates after Sri Lanka’s thrilling win over Australia in the 3rd T20I.© AFP
With the series already bagged, Australia went to the final Twenty20 International (T20I) looking for a whitewash over Sri Lanka in their own backyard. And nearly three quarters of the way through the game, Australia was in a prime position to wipe the series clean. However, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka changed the script and how he brought Sri Lanka back from the dead to score a thrilling victory over the visiting Australians. Few would have even given Sri Lanka a chance to win if they needed 59 runs from the last three overs. But Shanaka launched a stunning attack on the Australian bowlers to take his side home with a ball over.
Struggling with 108 for six in the 15th left, Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne split a match-winning 69-run tie for the seventh wicket.
Watch as Sri Lanka, led by Shanka, did the unthinkable to leave the Aussies horrified:
Highlights from the last 3 overs#Shanaka#SLvAUS#AUSvsSL https://t.co/YlidfL0Qyp pic.twitter.com/2hPuNfNoTE
— Ankit Chaudhary (@Ankit_Sihag_) June 12, 2022
Dasun Shanaka – A memorable match winning captain innings #SLVSAUS pic.twitter.com/FwGNyivdsA
— LHK (@Edwardian842) June 11, 2022
Sri Lanka was chasing a goal of 177 to end the series on a high after crashing miserably against the visitors in the first two games.
Shanaka scored an unbeaten 54 off 25 balls with five fours and four sixes to seal a four-wicket victory.
The skipper needed 19 from the final bowled by Kane Richardson and hit two fours and a mighty six to tie the scores with one ball left.
Richardson then walked to hand the win to the home side.
“I took a few balls to get in. I read the wicket well, so I didn’t throw my wicket away. The process is always important,” Shanaka said after his appearance as player of the match.
promoted
Australian skipper Aaron Finch called Shanaka’s innings “an unbelievable knock”.
(with AFP inputs)
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