Tomorrow’s match with Australia will be his final one-day worldwide, with Sri Lanka Cricket’s President Thilanga Sumathipala stating the game in Dambulla will be dedicated to Dilshan.
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Since 2012, as a matter of fact, no batsman has scored as many runs as Dilshan, who amassed 4513 runs from 110 games during this period with 12 hundreds and 23 fifties. Dilshan was in prime form over the past two years, averaging 49.18 in the one day format since the start of 2013.
He is the second Sri Lankan to have 3 ODI centuries above 150, with 4 scores above 150 in ODIs.
Kusal Mendis scored his fifth half-century in only nine one-day global appearances as Sri Lanka recorded an 82-run win over Australia to level the series. He has also been one of the premier T20 players over the past six years. But having scored 22 and 10 in the first two matches, and with skipper Angelo Mathews and the selectors now seeking to build a new team for the 2019 World Cup, Dilshan has since changed his mind.
The five-match series is locked at 1-1.
Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc struck in his very first over to send opener Danushka Gunathilaka, who was clean bowled, trudging back to the pavilion for five.
“We’d planned it for a long time and he took some convincing there is no doubt about that, but as a coaching and selection panel we have to make sure he is fresh and ready to go for Australia”.
Faulkner collected a hat-trick late in the innings spread over two overs as he dismissed Angelo Matthews, Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera. Starc also took three wickets, but went for 53 runs.
Zampa then trapped Mathews (2) in front to land his second telling blow in the space of three deliveries, the Sri Lanka skipper reviewing the decision unsuccessfully to leave the hosts in trouble at 4-103.
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When Dilshan – who captained his team in all formats – enters the dressing room on Sunday against Australia, he’d definitely savour the moment as would the Sri Lankan fans at Dambulla.
