Josh Hazlewood took 4-12 on his return from a long injury layoff as world champions Australia kicked off the post-Justin Langer era with a comfortable 20-run T20 win over Sri Lanka in Sydney on Friday. Langer would always miss the run of five games and chose to rest after a long spell on the road, but his shocking dismissal last weekend cast a shadow over the run-up. With interim coach Andrew McDonald at the helm, Australia were capped at 149 for nine in their first T20 since winning the World Cup in November. But top class bowling from Hazlewood, Pat Cummins (1-32) and Adam Zampa (3-18) denied the visitors, who were chasing 143 to win after one over was lost to rain.
“Nice to win. I thought we had to bowl well to defend that total, it wasn’t the easiest wicket to save,” said Australian skipper Aaron Finch.
“We probably fell a little short with the bat, but an incredible performance from our bowlers.”
Sri Lanka got off to a slow start with Mitchell Starc bowling a girl to open for Hazlewood in his first game since the opening of the Ashes Test against England in December.
He sacked Danushka Gunathilaka for one, ruining the opener’s return after being banned for breaking Covid-19 rules on a tour of England last June.
Avishka Fernando crushed a towering six on Cummins, but he was tempted to hit the next ball again and skied it to Matthew Wade.
Pathum Nissanka (36) and Charith Asalanka (16) struggled at 37 for two from eight overs and looted 15 from the ninth over from Starc to drag them back into the fray before Zampa cleared both in the space of three balls.
It swung the momentum back in Australia’s favor and Sri Lanka never recovered with Wanindu Hasaranga (13) and Dinesh Chandimal (25 not out) the only other batsmen to reach double digits as they finished at 122 for eight.
“We had a lot of positives with the bowling and in the field, but the batsmen didn’t get to cooperate and that’s a concern,” said Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka.
Earlier, Ben McDermott hit 53 for Australia after Shanaka won the toss and sent them into bat.
McDermott, in the side for David Warner who is being rested for the upcoming tour from Australia to Pakistan, started to finish in the fifth over, crushing the first six of the day outside Hasaranga.
But the world’s number one T20 bowler later used his magic four balls with a googly to break the opening partnership and bowl Finch for eight.
Debutant Josh Inglis joined McDermott before light rain caused a 29-minute delay.
When they came back, McDermott shot a huge six from Shanaka to pass his previous high of 35 in his 18th international, sending Australia halfway down to 75 for one before Sri Lanka got back into the game.
Inglis (23) left for Chamika Karunaratne and Glenn Maxwell only lasted five balls, caught on Hasaranga who went for a big hit.
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The dangerous Hasaranga then removed Steve Smith for nine, before Karunaratne trapped McDermott after raising his first T20 international for half a century.
Marcus Stoinis splattered an entertaining 30 before the impressive Binura Fernando eliminated him and Wade in consecutive balls as Australia lost its last eight wickets for 69 runs.
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