Australia’s opening pair of David Warner and Aaron Finch have finally broken out of their lean patch, combining for an explosive partnership in a vital win over Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup.
After being set what looked to be a challenging total of 155, Australia won the match with seven wickets and three overs to spare after a blistering 70-run stand for the first wicket.
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Despite scoring a combined 17 runs in his past four innings’ in all competitions coming into the match, Warner took advantage of an early dropped catch from Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Kusal Perera to top score with 65 off just 42 deliveries.
Warner and Finch’s 70-run stand came inside the first seven overs of the match as the two openers laid waste to Sri Lanka’s highly-touted pace tandem of Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara.
Kumara in particular came in for some damage, blasted for 20 runs off his first over in the powerplay, with the six-ball stretch virtually ending Sri Lanka’s chances of an upset win.
“It’s nice when you get a couple in the middle of the bat early,” Finch, who finished with 37 off just 23 deliveries, said after the win.
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“We knew that spin was going to have such a big impact outside the powerplay, so we knew the quicks we had to take a little bit of a chance on and we got away with it, which was nice, Davey played a beautiful knock.”
Incredibly, Finch’s 37 broke a remarkable lean patch in matches played in the UAE, with the Australian skipper failing to pass single-figures on his previous six outings in the country.
Despite the openers duo’s assault on Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, leg-spinner Adam Zampa was named the Player of the Match for a match-turning spell with the ball.
Zampa was brought on with Sri Lanka having gotten off to a flying start through Perera and Charith Asalanka before he dragged the Sri Lankan innings to a screeching halt.
The 29-year-old has dominated Sri Lanka throughout his T20 career and continued his stranglehold, finishing with figures of 2-12 off four overs, picking up the key wicket of Asalanka in the process.
“Sri Lanka got off to a bit of a flyer so we needed to peg it back when we did,” Zampa said after the match.
“To be honest, I think it was quite slow in the first innings and spun a little bit more than it did in the second innings.
“If anything, the moisture, the dew took effect in the second innings.”
The clinical performance from the Australians was labelled “dominant on all fronts” by Sri Lankan great Russel Arnold on commentary.
“There will be shivers down other teams watching closely,” he said. “They’re going to have to contend with this team.”
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The result leaves Australia in an incredibly strong position in its group, placed second after two wins to start the World Cup campaign.
Finch’s side will next be in action against Group 1 leaders England on Sunday morning AEDT, while Sri Lanka will look to bounce back against South Africa on Saturday night.