Even if Maxwell, who opened the innings in the first game, can’t pull off a repeat, Sri Lanka could find it hard to lift itself – it would want to; after all, it’s the last time Tillakaratne Dilshan will turn out in his national team’s colours.
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The 39-year-old Dilshan, who participated in 87 Tests, 330 ODIs and 80 T20s, was given a standing ovation by a raucous home crowd as he ended his 17-year-long glittering career.
Dilshan, who retired from Test cricket in 2013, topped the ICC World Twenty20 rankings for T20 Batsmen in June 2009 and the ODI all-rounders’ list in 2015. “Thank you Dilshan. My team and I wish you all the best for the future”. Maxwell brought up his half-century off just 18 deliveries and he has equaled the record of David Warner and his own.
In the fifth over of the match, Senanayake dismissed Warner and made remarks that could have provoked a reaction from the latter.
Despite the margin though, Australia still conceded 178 runs, with all-rounders Moises Henriques and James Faulkner going at 12 and 9.5 per over respectively with their seemers. Grasping the opportunity with both hands, Dilshan later went onto become one of the most innovative and fearless openers in modern day cricket. “Credit to the bowlers”, said Warner.
Sri Lanka were unable to generate any momentum with the bat on Friday following Dilshan’s early dismissal, which saw the veteran edge to first slip chasing a wide ball from Hastings.
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De Silva, whose defiant knock was laced with five boundaries, kept up the fight until the final over when he got out to Mitchell Starc.
