Sri Lanka won the third T20I against Australia by four wickets. Although they lost the series, the manner in which they won the third game will give the hosts confidence ahead of the ODI tournament. It was a brilliant game at Pallekele and the Sri Lankans achieved a record in their chase. In this article, we take a look at the record achieved in third Sri Lanka vs Australia T20I by the hosts.
In The third Sri Lanka vs Australia T20I ends in a thrilling fashion
At one point in the game, Sri Lanka looked out of the chase. They had recorded scores of 128 and 124 in the first two games and hence, chasing 177 looked like a mammoth task. With three overs to go, Sri Lanka needed 59 runs and they did not have many established batters at the crease. Captain Dasun Shanaka was there but his score read 6(12) at that moment. Hence, it appeared that the likes of Josh Hazlewood would close out the game.
However, Shanaka was in top form as he held his nerve to finish the game for his side. He ended with a score of 54(25) and chased down 15 runs in the last four deliveries. His late blitz also helped Sri Lanka go to No.1 in the list of teams to have chased the most runs in the last three overs of the game. The team’s record chase of 59 in 18 balls is the highest ever in a T20 game.
Dasun Shanaka leads the charge as Sri Lanka hit 59 in the last three!
This is the most ANY team has successfully chased in the last three overs of a T20 game 🔥 #SLvAUS
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 11, 2022
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Dasun Shanaka has been in top form
The Sri Lankan captain has actually been in brilliant touch over the last few months. Against India earlier this year, he scored 47(19)* and 74(38)* and impressed many. It was a similar show against Australia, too. The way that he has been performing, Sri Lanka could become a dangerous team in the death overs. The focus, though, will now shift to the ODI encounters starting from the 14th of June.
