Watch: Sri Lankan substitute fielder Ashen Bandara dropped Aaron Finch off Chamika Karunaratne, but caught Glenn Maxwell brilliantly off the next ball.
Pathum Nissanka scored 40 and Charith Asalanka slammed a 25-ball unbeaten 38, but the Australian bowlers did well to restrict Sri Lanka post 158-3 in the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match at the Perth Stadium. Australia began slowly, yet lost David Warner (11) and Mitchell Marsh (18) en route to be reduced to 60-2 in the ninth over.
Maxwell joined Finch at this point, and launched a furious onslaught, smashing two fours and two sixes off the first six balls he faced. However, Maheesh Theekshana conceded just a wide in his next over, while Lahiru Kumara hit Maxwell on the chest – and gave away two. That left Australia to chase 70 in 48 balls.
Karunaratne bowled the 13th over. He pitched the first ball short, and Finch, desperate for runs (he was 23 from 34 balls at this point), top-edged a pull. Bandara ran backwards from mid-wicket and had the ball in his grasp, but he juggled it three times before dropping it. The batters crossed over.
For Maxwell, Karunaratne altered his line (to outside off), length (good length), and pace (it was slower than the previous ball). Maxwell pulled, but Bandara, now pushed back to deep mid-wicket, leapt up to hold the catch and retained his balance to ensure he did not tumble across the boundary rope.
Unfortunately, this was the last wicket Sri Lanka managed. Marcus Stoinis hit four fours and six sixes, slammed the fastest T20I fifty by an Australian (off 17 balls), and finished on an unbeaten 18-all 59. Finch remained unbeaten too, on a 42-ball 31 with a solitary six.
Watch Ashen Bandara’s drop and catch here:
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