Australia faced a setback in their Champions Trophy preparations as they succumbed to a 49-run defeat against Sri Lanka in the first One Day International (ODI) held in Colombo. The match, played with fervor, saw Sri Lanka dominate both with the bat and ball, despite not qualifying for the Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka posted a commendable total of 214 runs in 46 overs, with Charith Asalanka standing out as the star performer. Asalanka's innings were nothing short of spectacular as he scored 127 runs, laced with 14 boundaries and six towering sixes. His performance laid a solid foundation for Sri Lanka’s innings and set a challenging target for the Australians.
Australia's bowling efforts were led by Sean Abbott, who managed to take three crucial wickets. However, it was not enough to contain the aggressive Sri Lankan batting lineup. On the other hand, Maheesh Theekshana emerged as the hero for Sri Lanka's bowling attack, securing four wickets for just 40 runs. He played a pivotal role in dismantling Australia's batting order.
The Australian innings concluded at 165 runs in 33.5 overs. Alex Carey was the top scorer for Australia with 41 runs, but his efforts fell short of steering his team towards victory. Marnus Labuschagne was among those dismissed by Theekshana, falling lbw after scoring 15 runs.
Australia's challenges were compounded by injury woes, with Mitchell Starc pulling out of the tournament due to injury. This follows the earlier withdrawals of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, leaving Australia's bowling attack significantly weakened.
Looking ahead, Australia will seek redemption when they face Sri Lanka again on Friday in the second and final ODI of the series. The team will need to regroup and address their shortcomings if they hope to level the series and gain momentum ahead of the Champions Trophy.
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