श्रीलंका vs ऑस्ट्रेलिया, मैच 30, पल्लेकेले इंटरनेशनल क्रिकेट स्टेडियम, कैंडी, 16 February 2026 - लाइव कमेंट्री

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

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

OUT! 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. AUSTRALIA HAVE BEEN BOWLED OUT FOR 181!

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

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.

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.

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

Full, outside off, Bartlett swings wildly but misses.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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

Short, outside off, Inglis punches it through point for a couple.

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

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

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.

On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket for a single.

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

Short, outside off, Inglis punches it through the covers for a single.

On a length, outside off, Maxi cuts it through point for a run. Eventful over.

On middle, worked through square leg for a single.

Dropped short, pulled through mid-wicket for a run.

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

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

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.

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.

Hmmm... turn. Fuller, around leg stump, Glenn Maxwell lunges to defend but the ball pitches and then spins away. The adjustment is nice to push the ball through mid off for a single.

Short, around off, Josh Inglis rocks back and punches it through the covers for a run.

Full and straight, Maxwell defends it awkwardly back to the bowler.

On middle and leg, Maxi nudges it through square leg for one.

Short, outside off, Inglis goes back and punches it towards long off for another single.

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.

Brilliant fielding by Pavan Rathnayake. Full, outside off, Josh Inglis creams the drive through the covers but Rathnayake races to his right from deep cover, dives and stops the ball. Two runs taken, two saved.

The arm ball, around middle, Inglis punches it back to the bowler.

Outside off, laced through the covers for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another one falls in this suicide mission. Floated, outside off, Tim David thinks that this is in his arc and swings with all his might. But he is not quite to the pitch of the ball and gets massive height. Not the distance. Long off is waiting and Dushan Hemantha makes no mistake. From 104/1, AUSTRALIA ARE NOW 130/4!

Outside off, eased through the covers for a single to get off the mark.

Full and outside off, driven through the covers but it is stopped. A wicket and 4 runs from the over, excellent stuff from the so-called part timer.

Short, around middle, Josh Inglis goes back and works it towards long on for a single.

WIDE plus a bye. Full and down the leg side, Tim David looks to flick but misses. The keeper misses and concedes a run.

Outside off, punched through the covers for a run.

The arm ball, 86.1 kph, coming into middle stump, David backs away to the leg side and punches it uppishly through the covers for one.

Flat and quick, full and outside off, Inglis stretches forward and carves it to deep point for a single.

An in-angler at 93.1 kph on a length, Tim David backs away and crunches it to the cover fielder.

 FOUR! No slip this time and it runs away! Pushed through, full and on middle, Tim David clears the front leg, looks to slog it over mid-wicket, but only manages a thick outside edge. The ball shoots past the vacant slip cordon and squirrels toward the deep third fence. 10 runs from the over.

FOUR! FIFTY FOR MARSH NOW! In 25 balls. Short, around off, Mitchell Marsh rocks back and drags the pull. It is aerial but in the gap and wide of deep mid-wicket, to his right, and into the ropes. So far, Marsh has not looked to be struggling with his legs at least, given the seriousness of his injury.

Outside off, punched through mid off for a single.

Was that a catch? Short, around middle and off, Tim David goes back and punches it uppishly, just wide of the bowler, who dives to his left. The ball goes towards long off and a single is taken. To the naked eye, it seemed like it went at a catchable height.

OUT! LBW! The Aussie skipper is gone. This is pushed quicker by Dushan, in line of the stumps, on a fractionally fuller length. Mitchell Marsh is neither on the front foot, nor does he commit on the back foot, hangs somewhere in the middle and tries to block it out, but seems to have got beaten on the inside edge as the ball thuds the flap of the back pad. A lengthy appeal for LBW, but the umpire denies. Mendis is pleading to the umpire from behind the stumps and the Sri Lankans eventually go upstairs for a review. Nothing on UltraEdge and the Ball Tracking shows that the ball is projected to hit the middle stump. Brilliant review from the Lankans. 

Nearly two in two for Dushan! A leg break, tossed up, full just outside leg, and it prodigiously spins away to finish across the off stump. Inglis stretches forward, shaping for a flick, but loses his balance and ends up getting dragged out of the crease. The ball beats the outside edge and has him stranded out for a moment. Mendis, though, can’t gather it cleanly behind the stumps, and Inglis survives the scare, scrambling back in time.

Full and outside off, Josh drives it to deep cover for a single.

Landed outside off, Cameron Green punches it through point for a single.

Floated, outside off, Mitchell Marsh uses his long reach and drives it through mid off for a run.

Shorter, outside off, Green punches it through point for one.

WIDE! Pushed way outside off, breaching the tramline. Marsh leaves.

A touch short, outside off, Marsh slaps it off the back foot to widish cover for a single.

Quicker one, full and on off, goes straight on. Green tries to block, but gets an inside edge onto the boot.

OUT! STUMPED! Sri Lanka have two wickets in quick time now. Full, wide, and cleverly fired in, almost as if it saw the charge coming. Green comes dancing down but ends up miles away from the pitch of the ball. He swings hard but fails to get the connection. Mendis collects the ball cleanly behind the stumps and does the rest with ease, whipping off the bails. Australia are 110/2.

The googly, outside off, 97.7 kph, shorter in length, Mitchell Marsh goes back and punches it through the covers for a single.

SIX! 100-RUN OPENING STAND IS UP! 4th in this edition and the first for Australia. Full, around middle, Travis Head gets down on a knee and mows the slog sweep. It is flat, but in the gap, splitting long on and deep mid-wicket.

OUT! CAUGHT! You live by the sword and die by it. Head was looking to hit each and every ball out of the park and his 'cameo' ends on a fine 56.  Floated wide outside off, Head reaches out to go over cover and wide long off, but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. He has to reach out and hence, does not get the full elevation. Wide long off is waiting and the ball flies straight to him, with Kamindu Mendis making no mistake at wide long off. AUSTRALIA ARE 104/1 AFTER 8.3 OVERS!

At 88 kph, Dushan dishes out a length ball, on off, Green backs away and punches it to short cover.

A massive appeal for stumping, but the on-field umpires confirm that Green is safe, seeing the smart replay on the giant screen. Spins big from a fuller length, outside off, Cameron Green is sucked into the shot on the front foot, trying to push it to the off side. The ball, however, spins almost square past his blade and Kusal Mendis collects it behind the stumps before he whips the bails off. The replay shows that Green's back leg never left or got lifted from the popping crease.

Pushed through full and on off, Cameron Green leans on and drives it all along the ground to long off for a single.

FOUR! BEAUTY! Tossed up, outside off, gentle half volley, Mitchell Marsh leans and drives it gorgeously through the covers for a boundary.

Shorter in length, outside off, Marsh punches it through the covers for a single.

27-BALL FIFTY FOR TRAVIS HEAD! His 6th in T20Is and a third in World Cups. Gets there with a drive through mid off for a run. 7 fours and two sixes in his knock and he raises his bat but he knows, the job has just begun.

A touch short and slower through the air, outside off, Marsh stands tall and smashes it away, but straight to the cover fielder.

 SIX! Effortless! Serves a half volley on the platter for the Bison, on off, Mitchell Marsh takes the front foot ahead, gets underneath the ball cleanly and thumps it over long off for a big six.

Pushed flatter and wide outside off, Marsh reaches out for it and steers it through point for a run. 13 runs from the over. 27 from the last 2.

Full, outside off, 86 kph to start, Travis Head leans and drives it through the covers. Should have been just a single but the fielder in the deep did not pick it up at all and started to run after the batters had crossed each other at the halfway. The second is completed with ease.

Full again, this time the cover drive is intercepted.

Excellent work by Pathum Nissanka. Full, down the leg side, Travis gets down and sweeps it through square leg. Nissanka charges to his right from deep square leg, dives full stretch and parries it to the fielder from deep mid-wicket. Keeps the batters to a couple of runs.

 SIX! The fielder can only watch it sail over! The leg break from Dushan, full and on the stumps. Travis Head finds the ball in his wheelhouse and slog sweeps it powerfully behind cow corner for half a dozen runs.

 FOUR! Unstoppable! A googly, but too full and on middle, Travis Head crunches it over extra cover for a cracking boundary.

From around the stump. On a length, outside off, Head punches it off the back foot to extra cover, where the fielder slides to his left and cuts it off.

Full, outside off, Mitchell Marsh hammers it down the ground but cannot beat mid off as the fielder quickly gets across to his right.

FOUR! Nice shot. Perhaps the carrom ball, outside off, because it skids on after pitching. Yes, the replay confirms. Marsh goes back and then, bringing his weight through the shot nicely, leans and punches it through covers for a boundary.

FOUR MORE! Almost a carbon copy of the previous shot. Theekshana keeps the line outside off but the length is a touch short. It comes back into the batter but the skipper manages to make some room and punch it through the covers for successive boundaries.

FOUR! Mayhem in Pallekele! Maheesh goes full and outside off, the off spinner. Mitchell Marsh slices it over the cover-point region and the ball races away.

FOUR! Wham, bam, slam! Targets the middle stump, on a fuller length, Mitchell Marsh gets down on his knee and mows it through deep backward square leg for a boundary.

 FOUR! Easily, the shot of the match so far! 5 boundaries in a row for the Big Bison. A juicy half volley around the off pole, Mitchell Marsh gets on the front foot and spectacularly carves it through the cover region for a boundary. No one could move a muscle. Australia end their Powerplay at 70/0.

SIX! OUTTA HERE! A gentle-paced delivery, short and on leg, arriving at chest height of the batter. Easy pickings for Head as he swivels and cracks the pull shot enormously behind deep square leg for a six.

Much fuller, on off, carved away to cover.

FOUR! Wonderful exhibition of aggressive batting! Slows it up, does Dasun. On a length, outside off, Travis Head expands his arms wide open and smashes it through the cover and point gap for a boundary.

On a hard length, on middle, Travis Head tries to wham that over long on, but mistimes off the inner half to long on for a single.

Fuller and around off, at 128.7 kph, nipping back in. Mitchell Marsh attempts to go up and over the in-field on the off side, but gets a fat inside edge. The ball deflects onto the pads and rolls to short third.

This one holds on the surface a touch, on a good length. Marsh bunts it in front of mid on for a quick run. 12 runs from the over. 50 UP FOR AUSTRALIA!

Full, outside off, 95.4 kph, Mitchell Marsh leans and eases this past the diving short cover to his right, for a single to the left of mid off.

Landed outside off, short in length, 92.5 kph, Travis Head goes back to cut but the ball stops and arrives. As a result, there is a bottom edge and the call comes from Head - 'Wait there, Mitch, No.'

FOUR! CREAMED! Full, outside off, Travis Head gets down on a knee and slog sweeps it to the left of mid on for a boundary!

Outside off, pushed towards mid off.

On middle, pretty straight, Travis pushes it towards long on for a run. 'Bowl Machaa, bowling!' chides Kusal Mendis, the keeper.

Ooohhh... lucky escape. Outside off, the balls have started to hold on the surface a bit more frequently now. Marsh went for the cut but played early and got a massive inside edge, which missed the stumps!

BEATEN! Pace off immediately by Pathirana, full and outside off, Travis Head throws his bat at it, trying to smash through covers, but misses to connect.

WIDE! At pace this time around, but a bit too wide and beyond the tramline, outside off. Head ignores. Wide called.

At 132.5 kph, on a good length, on leg, Travis hops and nudges it to mid-wicket with soft hands.

On middle, on a hard length, Head waits on the back foot, and steers it to deep backward point for a run.

Good effort! A touch fuller than the previous ball. On a length, outside off, Marsh presses back, lets his hands through the shot toward widish mid off. The fielder there dives to his left, makes a half stop and the ball is parried to the cover fielder who charges to his right in the ring. They get a single.

FOUR! That went like a tracer bullet! Marginally short, on top of middle, Travis Head makes room for himself by staying leg side and nails the square cut between cover and backward point for a cracking boundary.

Around the stump. This is bashed on a length, angling into the bodyline, Travis Head tries to nudge it around the corner, but misses and the ball grazes his thigh pad before rolling toward short fine leg. Marsh sniffs a run, but Head is quick to deny.

Full, around middle, angling down, Travis Head leans and pushes it towards mid on but the bowler cuts it off to his left.

The carrom ball, on middle, Head looks to punch but is cramped for room and mistimes it back to the bowler.

EDGED, FOUR! Tossed up, slightly wide outside off, pretty full, Travis Head gets down on a knee and looks to play his favourite slog sweep. But it is a slower ball, around 96 kph and the batter is early into his shot. Gets a massive top edge which flies over the vacant slip region to the deep third fence!

FOUR MORE! Better shot this time. A touch short, outside off, Head rocks back and punches it between point and cover, for consecutive boundaries.

A misfield now. Outside off, Travis punches it straight to backward point who fumbles and Head's loud 'NOOO!' turns into a single.

Short, outside off, punched towards mid off.

A bit of a movement as Chameera is right on the money! Gentle outswing on a length, on off, Mitchell Marsh gets behind the line and bunts it to the off side.

FOUR! Australia and Marsh are off the mark! On a back of a length, shaping away outside off. Mitchell Marsh gets to free his arms and square cuts it through backward point, beating deep third's dive to his right for a boundary.

A fraction fuller, on the stumps, Marsh firmly knocks it to mid on and steals a quick single.

FOUR! That's some way to get the first runs! Too full from Chameera, trying to get the inswing, but he errs in line as it is speared on the pads. Travis Head picks it up neatly and whips it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

A slight appeal for LBW, but the umpire walks away! Pitched in and around the leg stump, on a good length, shaping back in. Travis Head is tucked up for space and tries to work it across the line on the back foot. Gets a thick inside edge and is rapped on the thigh pad. The ball then deflects to short third and they get a run.

SIX! MUSCLED! Fractionally short by Chameera, on off, Mitchell Marsh plays from the crease and clubs it sweetly over long on for a cracking six. A flying start for the Aussies. 16 runs from the opening over.