Australia 31-40:
Lasith Malinga was for Mahela Jayawardenewhat James Pattinson was for Shane Watson – the weapon used sparingly, but tellingly, whenever wickets were needed. And as Pattinson swung the game Australia’s way with wickets at crucial moments, Malinga returned the favor, with a strike at the top of the innings and an even more crucial one in the 31st over, when he went through Watson’s defenses to uproot middle stump. It was full, it ...
more Australia 31-40:
Lasith Malinga was for Mahela Jayawardenewhat James Pattinson was for Shane Watson – the weapon used sparingly, but tellingly, whenever wickets were needed. And as Pattinson swung the game Australia’s way with wickets at crucial moments, Malinga returned the favor, with a strike at the top of the innings and an even more crucial one in the 31st over, when he went through Watson’s defenses to uproot middle stump. It was full, it was straight with just a hint of inswing, and Watson moved towards off to flick to leg – the kind of shot with which Virat Kohli had the other day decimated the Lankan quick – only to miss and walk back for a well compiled, but potentially futile, 65 (83 balls).
Dan Christian walked out with a ‘what the heck, I got the wickets now I have to get runs too, what are the rest of you blokes for?’ air about him, but didn’t last long enough to make his case for man of the match – Senanayake in the 34th over produced one that stopped on the batsman, inducing the checked push that the gleeful bowler grabbed on the drive. With Australia at that point still 88 runs shy and the tail, in the form of Pattinson, exposed at one end, the game had swung all the way around to the fielding side. And at the end of 40 overs, Lanka still had the odds on their side, with Australia heading into the straight needing 61 off the final ten, with David Hussey alone to shoulder that burden.
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