Australia vs Sri Lanka scorecard, Talking Points, Steve Smith LBW, Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, highlights, video\u060c<\/p>\n
Australia claimed their maiden World Cup victory by beating Sri Lanka by five wickets in a topsy-turvy contest at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
A game-changing spell from Australian player Adam Zampa triggered a chaotic 9-52 collapse in the first innings, with Sri Lanka eventually making 209.<\/p>\n
Half-centuries for opener Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper Josh Inglis steered Australia towards the target with more than 14 overs remaining, knocking the five-time champions off the bottom of the World Cup ladder. world.<\/p>\n
Australia next face Pakistan on Friday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, with first ball scheduled for 7:30 p.m. AEDT.<\/p>\n
ZAMPA RECOVERS HIS GROOVE<\/b><\/p>\n Adam Zampa has finally arrived.<\/p>\n After a slow start<\/a> to the tournament, the leg-spinner announced himself with a game-changing performance against Sri Lanka, taking four wickets at the Ekana Stadium.<\/p>\n The New South Welshman tore the Sri Lanka middle apart in a damaging eight-over, finishing with his best bowling figures in the World Cup.<\/p>\n This comes after Zampa endured a torrid run of form in the 50 over format, taking seven wickets at 61.42 with an economy of 7.41 in his previous six ODIs. He infamously equaled the all-time record for worst ODI bowling figures, falling for 113 runs in the fourth ODI against South Africa at SuperSport Park.<\/p>\n Zampa was also outclassed by part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell in Australia’s first two World Cup matches against India and South Africa, where he struggled to find line and length constants.<\/p>\n Even his first over against Sri Lanka was far from ideal, with the New South Welshman conceding 22 runs in his first three overs.<\/p>\n \u201cHis line and length was so inconsistent from what we are used to,\u201d muttered former Australian captain Aaron Finch in commentary.<\/p>\n However, Zampa bounced back when he returned to the attack in the 28th over, removing rival captain Kusal Mendis and the dangerous Sadeera Samarawickrama in consecutive deliveries.<\/p>\n \u201cHe defends Australia so often when they need him most,\u201d Finch said during the innings break.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was not at his best level, he would admit, throughout the start of this tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cBut sometimes you just need one wicket, one delivery\u2026 from then on he was back to his best, bowling straight, bowling a good length, mixing his pace.\u201d<\/p>\n Former England captain Nasser Hussain continued: “Australia wanted their leg-spinner to find some form, and he certainly did.”<\/p>\n Speaking at the post-match presentation, where he was declared player of the match, Zampa admitted that he had not been at his best in the early stages of the tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially in the last game, I could have played a little better,\u201d Zampa said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy role is to take wickets, and I haven\u2019t done that\u2026 I feel like I could do better.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be in the best part of the result today.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Australia will be sweating on Zampa’s fitness after the spinner suffered an injury following Sri Lanka’s innings in Lucknow.<\/p>\n “I’ve had a few back spasms the last few days,” he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to get out of it\u2026my back hurt really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n SMITH’S CLARING PROBLEM AFTER AN UNWANTED PREMIERE <\/b><\/p>\n Steve Smith was impenetrable on his pads.<\/p>\n It was a trademark of his heroic Ashes campaign in 2019, repeatedly crossing the crease and taking England seamers through mid-wicket with ease.<\/p>\n His hand-eye coordination was second to none, but it seems to be fading.<\/p>\n Before the recent Ashes series<\/a> in England, all three of Smith’s dismissals in the county champions came before the wicket – although they included some questionable umpiring decisions. He was also trapped on the pads by England captain Ben Stokes in the first innings of the opening Ashes match at Edgbaston.<\/p>\n And Smith’s LBW problem isn’t going away.<\/p>\n The right-hander has already been dismissed in three of his last four ODI innings, bowled by fast bowlers each time.<\/p>\n Last week<\/a>, Smith was stunned after South Africa managed to overturn an LBW decision, falling victim to Proteas speedster Kagiso Rabada. Then, in Monday night’s chase in Lucknow, Smith played all around a hoop inswinger from Sri Lankan speedy Dilshan Madushanka, wisely choosing not to revisit the decision.<\/p>\n Hawkeye confirmed that he was absolutely plumb.<\/p>\n It was Smith’s first duck in the World Cup. He also became the first Australian to suffer three ODI ducks in India in a calendar year.<\/p>\n “It’s just something I never thought I’d see (from Smith) in the last 12 months or so, coming out of LBW,” former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson said in commentary.<\/p>\n “When I was struggling to get out of LBW, Steve Smith was someone I thought, ‘How can he never miss them?’<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been happening a bit more for Steve Smith lately. He never missed it.<\/p>\n Smith has recorded scores of 46, 19 and 0 in the World Cup so far; Afghanistan’s Rahmat Shah is the only other No. 3 batter to reach fifty in the tournament.<\/p>\n Australia will need Smith firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the group stage to have any chance of advancing to the semi-finals.<\/p>\n CUMMINS IS BIG<\/b><\/p>\n Cricket legend Michael Clarke dropped a bombshell on Monday morning, claiming Australia captain Pat Cummins should be ruled out for Monday’s clash against Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard last night that Pat Cummins is not going to be selected for this game,\u201d Clarke said on his radio show.<\/p>\n Cummins had taken just one wicket in Australia’s first two World Cup matches, while in the 2023 calendar year, he has picked up just three wickets at 69.00.<\/p>\n However, Clarke’s call was debunked when Cummins withdrew for the toss at Ekana Stadium.<\/p>\n While Sri Lanka seemed to be on the front foot, hitting half-centuries in the first two matches, Cummins proved the difference and stood tall when his team needed it most.<\/p>\n He dismissed Pathum Nissanka on 61 to break an opening stand of 125 before trapping the wicket of Kusal Perera (78) five overs later.<\/p>\n Until the 27th over, Cummins was Australia’s only wicket-taker, but luckily leg-spinner Adam Zampa stepped in with two quick wickets.<\/p>\n However, Cummins injected himself into the match again in the 35th over to dent Sri Lanka’s hopes of posting a competitive total. After neatly picking up a moving ball at mid-off, Cummins threw the stumps to the bowler’s side to dismiss Dunith Wellalage.<\/p>\n The moment left former Australian opener Aaron Finch stunned, hailing the skipper who proved the difference in Sri Lanka’s innings of batting.<\/p>\n Cummins finished with impressive figures of 2-32 from seven overs in a timely return to form.<\/p>\n \u201cEXCEPTIONAL\u201d: INGLIS CEMENTS ODI SPOT<\/b><\/p>\n Josh Inglis rewarded the selectors’ faith with a save fifty during Australia’s run chase in Lucknow on Monday, validating his shock selection.<\/p>\n Last week, outgoing wicketkeeper Alex Carey was left out of Australia’s starting XI in an explosive selection call, replaced by Inglis ahead of Thursday’s loss to South Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n After the West Australian missed a catch and recorded a single-digit score against the Proteas, it looked like the gamble had backfired on the Proteas.<\/p>\n However, Inglis proved his worth with a courageous half-century against the Sri Lankans, scoring 58 (59) to help Australia reach the 210-run target with 88 balls to spare.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old feasted on Lahiru Kumara’s wayward bowling in the 25th over, dabbing a delicate late cut from third man before lofting a hook into the stands<\/a>.<\/p>\n He needed just 46 deliveries to reach fifty, his second in ODIs and first in the World Cup, reaching the minor milestone with a glorious straight drive after mid-off.<\/p>\n