Watch cricket video highlights of Australia Tour of Sri Lanka 2025. Second ODI between Australia and Sri Lanka. Venue of the match will be Colombo.
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A depleted Australia is heading into the Champions Trophy lacking confidence and in search of solutions following a significant 2-0 ODI series loss to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka secured a commanding 174-run triumph in the second ODI held in Colombo, largely thanks to Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka, who propelled their innings to 281 runs. Kusal scored 101 off 115 deliveries and formed solid partnerships with Asalanka and Nishan Madushka before Australia was dismissed for a mere 107 in just 25 overs.
This marked Sri Lanka’s biggest ODI victory over Australia, who equaled their eighth-lowest total in the format. Throughout the match, Australia was thoroughly outperformed. Their bowling lineup has been severely weakened, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis all absent from this series and the Champions Trophy for various reasons. With Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis taking rests, left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis was given a chance and bowled effectively with the new ball.
Sean Abbott bounced back from a poor performance in the first ODI to conclude with figures of 1 for 41 over ten overs. Leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha returned to ODI cricket after 16 months but ended with disappointing figures of 0 for 34 in five overs. However, Australia continued to face challenges in the latter stages, with their death bowling remaining a significant worry ahead of the Champions Trophy.
While chasing 282 appeared difficult for their batters, Australia’s batting lineup was strengthened by the returns of Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Glenn Maxwell, resulting in Cooper Connolly, Alex Carey, and Marnus Labuschagne being replaced. Australia found themselves in a difficult position on a surface that initially seemed quite friendly, managing a batting performance that was even poorer than their 165 all out in the first game. They faltered early against Asitha Fernando and then disintegrated in the face of spinners Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga, who together took seven wickets.
After a second-ball duck in the first match, Matt Short managed only 2 runs on Friday before misjudging a delivery from Asitha that skidded through and got him lbw. Despite reviewing the decision hopelessly, it marked another letdown for Short, who had struggled against Pakistan during the white-ball series in November. With Head back in the lineup, Jake Fraser-McGurk moved down to No. 3, and for a while, it seemed to pay off as he struck a couple of boundaries.
However, when he had scored 9, a slower ball from Asitha got the better of Fraser-McGurk, leading to yet another disappointing score, aside from a 95 off 46 balls for the Melbourne Renegades in their last BBL match against the Brisbane Heat. Head began his innings in his usual aggressive style, hitting consecutive boundaries off Asitha, but the early dismissals of Short and Fraser-McGurk disrupted his momentum, and at 18 runs, he holed out to Asitha at deep square leg.
It was left to acting captain Steven Smith and Inglis to stabilize the innings, as they built a 46-run partnership for the fourth wicket that boosted Australia’s chances. The two were known for their ability to handle spin and kept the scoreboard moving, but Inglis seemed fortunate at 18 when he was stumped by Kusal off Hasaranga yet was given not out, despite replays indicating his foot was not behind the line. However, it was of little consequence as he was soon bowled by Wellalage, who was in fine form when he also claimed Glenn Maxwell with a beautifully flighted delivery that struck the top of off stump.
Smith had displayed dominance earlier in his innings, but the challenging situation for his team proved too much even for him. His impressive tour concluded on a disappointing note after being dismissed lbw by Hasaranga, and he reviewed unsuccessfully while Australia’s lower order provided scant resistance. This marked Australia’s sixth defeat in their last eight ODIs, and they will head into the Champions Trophy lacking confidence. In contrast, Sri Lanka achieved their ninth win out of their last 13 matches but may feel mixed emotions since they will not be part of the Champions Trophy following a dismal 2023 World Cup.
Nonetheless, they should take a moment to celebrate a solid series victory, having followed up their remarkable 49-run triumph in the first match at the same venue. Asalanka again chose to bat, hoping for a better batting display after their top-order struggles in the initial game. Dwarshuis opened the bowling in Johnson’s absence, but it was Aaron Hardie who sent a frustrated Pathum Nissanka packing for just 6 runs off 20 balls.
Hardie had performed exceptionally well in the first game with sharp seam movement from a short length, but quickly realized this pitch was flatter, prompting him to focus on targeting the stumps. Having only resumed bowling towards the end of the BBL, Hardie bowled with intensity and appeared physically strong, which bodes well for Australia ahead of the Champions Trophy. Kusal, who recorded two fifties in the second Test, shone brightly from the start and handled the new ball with finesse as his partnership with Madushka flourished.
Taking the place of Avishka Fernando at the top of the lineup, Madushka was decisive in his movements and robust off the back foot as Smith turned to spin. In a relatively rare occurrence these days, legspin was employed at both ends, with Sangha and Adam Zampa bowling together. Competing in his third ODI and the first since just before the 2023 World Cup, Sangha came off a strong finish in the BBL that helped Sydney Thunder reach the final. However, he struggled to make an impact, while Zampa showed improvement from his lackluster showing in the first ODI; yet a breakthrough remained elusive.
Kusal smashed Zampa for back-to-back boundaries to bring up his half-century off the same number of balls, and Madushka soon followed suit as they closed in on a century partnership. Unfortunately, Madushka could not continue the momentum and hit a well-placed bouncer from Dwarshuis directly to Zampa at fine leg. As he has done throughout the tour, Smith relied on his instinct, and bringing Abbott back into the attack paid off when the struggling Kamindu Mendis chopped a ball onto his stumps for just 4 runs.
After his remarkable century in the first match, Asalanka started tentatively, mis-hitting a delivery from Zampa, only for Maxwell to misjudge the high catch, failing to execute his usual stunning catch this time. Asalanka eventually settled in and partnered brilliantly with Kusal, who brought up his fifth ODI century before being dismissed by Zampa in the 45th over. However, Asalanka, who finished not out on 78 from 66 balls, kept going along with Janith Liyanage, helping Sri Lanka reach a daunting total that proved too much for a struggling Australia.
