Australia vs Sri Lanka, 2019: 2nd T20I – Australia’s rare series win, Smith's first at home, a series of century partnerships and more stats

Australia completed a series win over Sri Lanka with one game still to be played in the 3-match T20I series as they defeated the visitors by nine wickets. Sri Lanka elected to bat first this time but failed to get going towards a big total. On a pacey Brisbane track, the Australian quicks outclassed the Sri Lanka batsmen to restrict them to 117 in 19 overs. Aaron Finch was dismissed without scoring in the very first over. But David Warner (60*) and Steve Smith (53*) added 117 runs for the 2nd wicket as the hosts completed the chase with seven overs to spare.

All the statistical highlights from Australia’s 9-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Gabba:

A rare series win for Australia:

1 – The current series victory is Australia’s maiden series win in the T20I format against Sri Lanka at home having lost each of their previous three against them. The Lankans won the one-off T20I in 2010 and a 2-match T20I series by 2-0 margin in 2013. The 3-match T20I series in 2017 was won by the visitors 2-1 where they missed a chance of completing whitewash as they lost the last game by 41 runs.

A series of century partnerships for Australia:

3 – Australia is now the first team to share three century partnerships in the same T20I series/tournament. David Warner was involved in all the three 100-run partnerships in this series. He shared 100-run stands with Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell in the first T20I and an unbeaten partnership with Steve Smith in Brisbane.

21 – With the three century partnerships in this series, Australia now holds the record for most 100-run stands by a team in the T20I cricket. They thus surpassed India’s 19 century partnerships in this format.

8 – Warner now has been part of 8 century partnerships in T20I cricket; the joint 2nd most by any player. Rohit Sharma was involved in nine 100-run stands while Martin Guptill in eight of them like Warner.

A game without a six for the Aussies:

3 – Only the 3rd time Australia failed to hit a six in a home T20I game. They posted 164/6 against India in the last year’s Sydney T20I without hitting a maximum. Australia chased down the target of 102 in the 2014 MCG T20I against South Africa in only 12.4 overs without hitting a six.

1 – Both David Warner and Steve Smith scored unbeaten fifties without scoring a fifty. This is the first instance of two players scoring 50+ without hitting a six in the same T20I match.

Captain gets captain:

6 – Aaron Finch got out for a golden duck off Lasith Malinga’s bowling. This is only the 6th instance of a captain getting dismissed for a golden duck in the opponent numbers’ bowling in a T20I.

4 – Number of ducks for Aaron Finch in 27 T20Is as Australia captain. All other Australian skippers got out for a duck on four instances. Overall, only Mashrafe Mortaza (5) and William Porterfield (5) have bagged ducks more often than Finch in the T20I format while leading the team.

A first for Smith at home:

53* – Steve Smith’s unbeaten 53 in this game is his maiden T20I fifty at home. He played nine T20I matches till date at home and crossed 30-run mark only twice in the 7 innings he batted. Smith has played only three T20Is in Australia in the last eight years.