Sri Lanka vs Australia Bhanuka lauds exceptional Shanaka innings

Middle-order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa lauded the match-winning innings from Sri Lanka’s T20 captain Dasun Shanaka on Saturday, which swung the third T20I at Pallekele in Sri Lanka’s favour to register a four-wicket win.
With Sri Lanka needing 59 off the last three overs, Shanaka, who up to that point had just six runs off 11 deliveries, unleashed a flurry of boundaries and sixes to take Sri Lanka home with a ball to spare – a record for the most required runs successfully scored over the last three overs of a T20I innings.

“It was an exceptional innings. We know what Dasun is capable of, and that he is a match winner, and he has won two or three matches for us in the past. When he had six runs off 11 balls we felt some pressure because the required run rate was increasing, but we knew if he batted till the end we had a good chance of winning. He has a good ability to score sixes,” Rajapaksa said.

Shanaka began his onslaught in the 18th over bowled by the miserly Josh Hazelwood, who had conceded just three runs off his first three overs, hitting back-to-back sixes and then consecutive boundaries after Chamika Karunaratne got him on strike with a single off the first delivery.
“It was down to Dasun’s skill because we know that Hazlewood sticks to a Test line and length and when you compare his release point, because of his height, he gets more bounce. Even if he doesn’t have the pace the extra bounce is a challenge. It is also hard to trust the wicket at the R. Premadasa, and the wicket here in Pallekele was a little better and that made a big difference as well,” Rajapaksa said.

Shanaka then hit 2 more sixes and 3 boundaries in the next two overs, bowled by Jhye Richardson and Kane Richardson, reaching his fifth in 25 balls.

The series was already lost, but Shanaka said Saturday’s win would give much needed momentum going into the ODI series starting tomorrow.

“At the initial moment, when I went out to the crease, I took a few balls to get in,” said Man of the Match, Shanaka said at the post-match award ceremony.

“I think my strike rate was around 50. I read the wicket really well, and kept my wicket in the other side without throwing it away. And in the end, I was hoping I’d be able to finish the game. We hope to take this momentum forward into the ]ODI series.”