Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st ODI: Maxwell's blitz helps Australia beat Sri Lanka in 1st ODI

Hosts were very good with the bat as Australian bowlers could have done better instead of conceding 300 runs in the first innings, but Glenn Maxwell absorbed all the pressure to help his team clinch victory in the second inning. 

Kusal Mendis-Hasaranga steering Sri Lanka to a decent total

Dasun Shanaka opted to bat, and the team got off to a perfect start as Danusha Gunathilaka and Pathum Nissanka opened to build a 114-run stand. The partnership got broken as Gunathilaka (55) lost his wicket in a close run-out. Soon Nissanka (56) and Dhananjaya de Silva (7) lost their wickets to Ashton Agar. Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka stitched another significant partnership, scoring 77 off 82, which broke as Asalanka (37) got caught at mid-on by Jhye Richardson. Marnus Labuschagne dismissed skipper Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne in quick succession. In contrast, Kusal Mendis still stood firm to end 50 overs with his unbeaten score of 86 alongside Wanindu Hasaranga, who smashed five successive boundaries against Richardson in an over to fetch 37 off 19. With this, hosts posted a target of 301 on the scoreboard.

Erratic bowling from hosts as Maxwell mastered the 'Big Show'.

The hosts had a defendable total on board, and with Maheesh Theekshana dismissing David Warner in the first over, it was the best start that hosts could get. However, they failed to capitalise further in Powerpas as Steven Smith and Aaron Finch built a 67-run partnership. After Hasaranga dismissed Finch, rain played a spoilsport, revising the target to 282 runs off 44 overs, making field and action more interesting. Smith carried the momentum with Marnus Labuschagne (24), scoring 53 off 60. Marcus Stoinis added a quick 44, playing at a strike rate of over 140, and the remaining was done mesmerizingly well by Glenn Maxwell as he punched an unbeaten 80 off 51 to seal the first ODI win for Australia. 

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said, "I think both the teams played really well. I think our bowling went wrong today, lots of short balls and full tosses. But credit to their batters, they batted really well and they're experienced. So, they read the game really well and finished it off. I'm very happy with the runs on the board. 300+ is usually a winning total. Wanindu's injury is one from a while back, so I think he'll be okay. Let's see. [Dunith Wellalage] is a very good cricketer. I have seen him performing through the under-19 level so I think he'll deliver in the future for us."

The bowling from the hosts was erratic, with no one really able to bowl well throughout the match. Only Hasaranga managed to play through a hamstring issue and pull a competitive show, scalping four wickets. His all-rounding brilliance wasn't enough to make the day shine for Lankans as they lost the first ODI by two wickets. The two teams will clash for the next ODI on 16th June 2022 at Pallekele.