AUS vs SL highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka beat Australia by 8 wickets to enter Super Eight

Dushmantha Chameera to Adam Zampa, OUT! AUSTRALIA HAVE BEEN BOWLED OUT FOR 181! Adam Zampa is gone and it will be another run out to close out the innings. On a length, outside off, 116.9 kph, Adam Zampa eases this through the covers. It is a no brainer to come back for the second but the fielder is up for it as well. Kamindu Mendis charges to the ball and returns the throw to the keeper Mendis, Kusal, with the throw coming right in front of the keeper. Kusal collects and whips the bails off, with Zampa nowhere in the frame.

Dushmantha Chameera to Nathan Ellis, OUT! XAVIER BARTLETT IS RUN OUT! Another slower ball, 120 kph, on a length, outside off. Ellis looks to swing but is months early into the shot. The batters go for the bye and the keeper, Kusal Mendis, underarms his shy at the striker's end. Hits bull's eye and Bartlett is gone by a mile.

Dushmantha Chameera to Nathan Ellis, A good bouncer, at the head, Nathan Ellis is taken back and decides to ramp this pretty late. Is comprehensively beaten by pace and the Lankan coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, likes that in the dugout! He might be thinking, yes, this is how I felt as a batter while facing Brett Lee. The speed gun read 144.5 kph!

3 balls left. Australia caught between avoiding getting bowled out for twice in two games and finding the boundary. Nathan Ellis walks in next, at number 10, replacing Marcus Stoinis.

Dushmantha Chameera to Marcus Stoinis, OUT! CAUGHT! The jerseys seem to be swapped in the field! Sri Lanka have simply been outstanding in the field tonight. Another slower ball, 115.4 kph, on a length, outside off. Angling away, Stoinis swings hard, but gets a thick outside edge behind. The ball is dipping, but Maheesh Theekshana flings himself to his right at short third and takes another stinger! 160/4 has now become 180/8 for Australia!

Dushmantha Chameera to Marcus Stoinis, Swing and a miss. The crowd cheering each and every dot ball. Excellent slower ball, on a length, outside off, going away, Stoinis swings towards mid-wicket, but connects only with thin air.

Oh dear. The siren goes off and that means Chameera overstepped on the previous ball and it will be a NO BALL! FREE HIT coming up!

Frustration. The crowd is moving up and down around the sightscreen and Stoinis is flustered here.

Dushmantha Chameera to Marcus Stoinis, Very full, outside off, Stoinis drills this to the left of long off and comes back for the second.

Dushmantha Chameera to Marcus Stoinis, On a length, outside off, Marcus Stoinis punches it through point. Does not even think about the single.

Final over. Can Australia get to 190?

Maheesh Theekshana to Xavier Bartlett, Full and wide outside off, Xavier slashes hard but misses. Sensational over - A wicket and just 2 runs from it!

Maheesh Theekshana to Xavier Bartlett, Full, outside off, Bartlett swings wildly but misses.

Maheesh Theekshana to Xavier Bartlett, Ooohhh... fired on the pads, Xavier Bartlett looks to punch but gets a thick inside edge which goes past the leg stump!

Into the bowlers now. Xavier Bartlett walks in next, at number 9, replacing Cooper Connolly. Australia either need him to challenge his MLC 2025 form, where his strike rate was around 172, or simply give the strike to Stoinis.

Maheesh Theekshana to Cooper Connolly, OUT! CAUGHT! 6th wicket to spin. Floated, around middle and leg, Cooper Connolly goes for a big slog. But he only manages a thick top edge. Short third hares to his right, is about to collide with short fine leg, but the latter backs off in time. Kusal Perera keeps his eyes on the ball and dives full stretch to take the catch! Cooper is conned and from 160/4, AUSTRALIA ARE NOW 177/7! 9 balls left.

Maheesh Theekshana to Cooper Connolly, Outside off, punched through the covers. Kamil Mishara does well to move to his left at sweeper and dive to stop the ball. Two runs taken, two saved.

Maheesh Theekshana to Cooper Connolly, Maheesh Theekshana will bowl out. Down the leg side, Cooper Connolly works it to the leg side but cannot find the gap.

Dushmantha Chameera to Cooper Connolly, Back to pace off, on a length, outside off, Cooper Connolly eases this behind point for a single to get off the mark. A wicket and 7 runs from the over, 15/2 in the last 2!

Cooper Connolly walks in next, at number 8, replacing Josh Inglis, for the finishing duties.

Dushmantha Chameera to Josh Inglis, OUT! CAUGHT! Wow. You need to read this. Again and again. An Aussie batter, that too from Perth, has been bounced out by a Lankan seamer! A quick short ball, outside off, Josh Inglis goes for the pull instinctively. But he is beaten for pace - that's right - beaten for pace, with the speed gun reading 140 kph and gets a top edge which goes straight up in the air. Three fielders go for it - the bowler, the keeper and point. In the end, Dunith Wellalage calls for it coming in from point and takes it calmly. After a series of slower balls, Inglis was caught napping on this fast one. From 160/4, AUSTRALIA ARE NOW 174/6! 13 balls left.

Dushmantha Chameera to Marcus Stoinis, Full, around off, Marcus Stoinis opens the face of his bat and guides it through point for a run.

Dushmantha Chameera to Josh Inglis, Dropped short, slow again, Josh swivels, gets outside the line and pulls it behind square leg for a single.

Dushmantha Chameera to Josh Inglis, FOUR! What a shot that is! Full and outside off, Inglis drives this down the ground. Long off is pretty wide and he tries to reach to his right and dives, but there is so much power in the shot that the ball beats him!

Dushmantha Chameera to Josh Inglis, Landed outside off, Josh Inglis goes for the reverse hook but the ball is pretty slow and he misses it totally.

Dushan Hemantha to Josh Inglis, On middle, worked through mid-wicket for a run. 4-0-37-3 - best figures in T20Is for Dushan Hemantha! Anyone missing 'Wow'indu?

Dushan Hemantha to Josh Inglis, Short, outside off, Inglis punches it through point for a couple.

Dushan Hemantha to Josh Inglis, Quicker ball, 84.3 kph, punched back to the bowler. 'Anna Hari, Anna Hari!' chides Mendis.

Dushan Hemantha to Josh Inglis, FOUR! UP AND OVER! Landed outside off, Josh Inglis leans into the shot and lofts it nicely over cover for a boundary.

Dushan Hemantha to Marcus Stoinis, A full toss, on middle, Marcus Stoinis gently reverse-paddles it through short third for a single.

The crowd finds its voice. It knows how big a wicket that is. Maxwell's unbeaten 145 in 2016, his best in T20Is, came at this very venue, in 2016. Marcus Stoinis walks in next, at number 7, replacing Glenn Maxwell.

Dushan Hemantha to Glenn Maxwell, OUT! BLINDER OF A CATCH! That's how you bounce back, son! Dropped a sitter, but makes up for it with a screamer! Maxwell gets a taste of his own medicine. Normally, it is he who flies, who leaps and makes gravity's definition questionable. Full, around middle and off, Glenn Maxwell gets down and employs the reverse sweep. It is played powerfully and the ball flies over backward point. But Pathum Nissanka flies to his left and takes a stunner with both hands, landing behind! The Lankans are celebrating but Maxwell is asked to wait. The third umpire is called to check the legality of the catch and the replay shows that Nissanka is in total control of the catch. Maxwell looks stone faced, but even he would have admired that effort. Take a bow, Pathum. An important 30-run stand is broken and AUSTRALIA ARE 160/5 AFTER 16.1 OVERS!

Dushan Hemantha returns. 3-0-29-2 so far.

Dushmantha Chameera to Glenn Maxwell, On a length, outside off, Maxi cuts it through point for a run. Eventful over.

Dushmantha Chameera to Josh Inglis, Short, outside off, Inglis punches it through the covers for a single.

Dushmantha Chameera to Josh Inglis, FOUR! Adventurous! On middle and off, Josh Inglis goes back, brings out the reverse and ramps it over the keeper for a boundary!

Dushmantha Chameera to Glenn Maxwell, On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket for a single.

Dushmantha Chameera to Glenn Maxwell, DROPPED! Oh dear. Pretty similar to how David Warner was put down by Usama Mir during the 2023 World Cup in Bengaluru. Fielder getting to the ball, but not laying any hand on it. Slower ball, outside off, Glenn Maxwell goes for the moon again, but this time, gets very much height, without any distance. The ball is high in the air, but Pathum Nissanka comes running in. He does get to the ball but miraculously, the ball goes right through his hands and is down! In that other match, Usama was standing where he was. Two runs taken. Costly drop.

Dushmantha Chameera to Glenn Maxwell, Pace is back on, as Dushmantha Chameera returns. 1-0-16-0 so far. Outside off, guided straight to backward point.

Kamindu Mendis to Glenn Maxwell, Shorter on middle, Maxi works it through mid-wicket with soft hands again, but this time, the bowler himself goes after it. Keeps the batters to a single. 15 from the over.

Kamindu Mendis to Glenn Maxwell, Good running. On middle, Maxwell works it through mid-wicket with soft hands and charges back for the second. 150 UP FOR AUSTRALIA. 31 balls left.

Kamindu Mendis to Glenn Maxwell, FOUR MORE! Tossed up, outside off, Maxwell comes forward and with efficient use of his wrists, powers this over cover for a boundary!

Kamindu Mendis to Glenn Maxwell, SIX! CREAMED! Floated, around middle, Maxwell gets underneath the ball and swings it cleanly over long on!

Kamindu Mendis to Josh Inglis, Dropped short, pulled through mid-wicket for a run.

Kamindu Mendis to Glenn Maxwell, On middle, worked through square leg for a single.

DRINKS BREAK. The camera pans onto Mitchell Marsh who is looking very pensive outside the Aussie dressing room. At 104/0 in the 9th over, dreams of 250 were being woven. All of a sudden, 180 may be a tall ask. Aiming for the moon and running out of oxygen halfway? It has become a different ball game altogether. The hard, new ball was flying, but after that, forget the boundaries, the runs have dried up. 39/4 in the last 6 overs! The ball is stopping, holding on the surface and turning a bit as well. Australia might want to revisit what Sikandar Raza said in his post-match presentation the other day - if you look at 190 now, you are going to be 140 all out.

Dunith Wellalage to Glenn Maxwell, Full and outside off, The Big Show leans, opens the face of his bat and guides it towards backward point. 5 runs from the over, Dunith Wellalage finishes his bowling spell with figures of 4-0-33-1.