On Sunday night, Australia clinched another comfortable victory against Sri Lanka in the final match of the 5-match ODI series. Sri Lanka decided to bat first after winning the toss at Pallekele pitch. Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 195 runs in 40.2 overs.

In reply, Australia comfortably chased that target in 43 overs after losing 5 wickets.

Before this ODI, Australia had secured the ODI series. With this victory, Australia wins the ODI series by 4-1.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka – 195 in 40.2 overs (Danushka Gunathilaka 39, Dhananjaya de Silva 34, Mitchell Starc 3/40)

Australia – 199/5 in 43 overs (David Warner 106, George Bailey 44, Dilruwan Perera 3/51)

Result – Australia won by 5 wickets

Some of the statistical highlights of the match are given below:

Sri Lanka was all out for 195 runs. It was Sri Lanka’s 3^rd lowest 1^st innings (complete innings) ODI total against Australia on home soil.

Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc clinched total 12 wickets in this 5-match ODI series, which is most no. of wickets were achieved by him in a bilateral ODI series. Starc’s previous best performance was 11 wickets in 5-match ODI series against West Indies in Australia in 2013 (Starc played 3 ODIs).

Australian opening batsman David Warner scored a brilliant century in this ODI. Warner got out on 106 runs. Warner became the first Australian batsman to score an ODI century in Sri Lanka.

Also, Warner became only second non-Asian captain to score an ODI century in Sri Lanka. South African batsman AB de Villiers (108 vs Sri Lanka at Hambantota on 12^th July 2014) was the first non-Asian captain to score an ODI century in Sri Lanka.

Australian batsmen David Warner and George Bailey put on a 132-run partnership for the 3^rd wicket. It was the joint second highest ODI partnership for Australia in Sri Lankan soil. Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds had also put 132-runs partnership against India for the 2^nd wicket at Galle on 23^rd August 1999.

Australia’s highest ODI partnership in Sri Lanka was 148-runs between Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting (for the 2^nd wicket) against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on 22^nd February 2004.

Spinners took total 9 wickets (Australian spinners took 4 wickets and Sri Lankan spinners took 5 wickets) in this match. It was the joint most no. of wickets taken by the spinners in an ODI at this ground (Pallekele International Cricket Stadium). It was the 4^th time that spinners took total 9 wickets in an ODI at this ground.

This match was Australia’s 4^th win in this ODI series. For the first time, Australia won 4 matches in a bilateral series in Sri Lankan soil.

Also, it was the third time that Australia won 4 ODIs in a bilateral series on Asian soil. Before this Sri Lanka series, Australia won 4 ODIs – twice – in a bilateral series on Indian soil. Australia never won more than 4 ODIs on Asian soil in a bilateral series.