Sri Lanka set a challenging target for Australia in 2nd ODI
Australia need 244 off 39 overs
The 2nd match of the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between Sri Lanka and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 was threatened by rain as the match was interrupted for more than an hour before the tourists completed their shortened innings of 45 overs.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 got off to a fine start in the match as openers Upul Tharanga and Tilikaratne Dilshan flayed the Aussie bowlers around the park in a 98 run opening stand.
Dilshan was the first man to be dismissed. He went back for 47 runs scored off 57 balls with the help of 5 fours. Tharanga carried on in his steady vein from the other end yet the Sri Lankans lost an important wicket of their former captain and prolific
batsman Mahela Jayewardene for 5 runs.
He was sent packing by Shane Watson for 5 runs after the right hander was adjudged lbw.
Kumar Sangakkara joined Tharanga and set about the task of building a big total on a wicket that had even bounce and made run scoring an easy proposition.
Sangakkara continued from where he left in the opening match, and looked impressive on the crease when the match was halted due to rain with the Sri Lankans placed at 161/2 in 34 overs.
The match resumed and the Lankans reached 213/3 in 41.1 overs when it started raining again.
In the mean time Sangakkara was dismissed for 45 by Shane Watson.
The Australians have been set a revised target of 244 runs in 39 overs. The target has been reset as per the Duckworth/http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lewis-c72807 method.
The Australians have to take full advantage of the situation and hope that they can get off to a good start and chase down the asking rate of 6 runs per over.
They have a formidable batting line-up that has the likes of Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120, Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting, who would be trying their best to halt the run of defeats that the Aussies have been enduring since July this year.
The Aussies have their eyes set on the Ashes series that will follow the three match ODI series. Yet it is of paramount importance that they get to the series in a positive frame of mind that can only be achieved by conjuring some wins in the matches that
lead up to the ultimate Test battle.
Tags: