'There was a chance it would all go wrong' - Dasun Shanaka on his match-winning knock in 3rd T20I

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka will be seen in action in the first ODI game to be played between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on June 14 (Tuesday). The right-handed batter will play a crucial role in the home side’s batting department and will try to lead the side to win the 50-over series.

To note, the Sri Lanka batter is in excellent touch as he bailed out his team in the third and final T20I match and eventually won the game for his side. The right-handed batter came to bat when his side was 96/4 and chasing a big total of 177. Shanaka had a sluggish start as he managed to score six off his first 12 balls.

With 59 required from the last 18 balls, Shanaka attacked the Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood in the 18th over and smashed him for two fours and two sixes. As a result, Sri Lanka managed to win the encounter by four wickets and one ball to spare.

It was a great win not just for me, but the whole country: Dasun Shanaka

“It was a huge joy to me to be able to play an innings like that. There are very few innings like that. My plan was to hit three boundaries an over in the last three overs. That would mean 54 runs [if all the boundaries were sixes]. With the singles we would get, there’d be a chance. There was a chance it would all go wrong, but I was able to do my best. It was a great win – not just for me, but the whole country,” Shanaka was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Despite Shanaka’s excellent performance in the third T20I, the visitors Australia comfortably won the series by a margin of 2-1 and will now take on the home side in a five-match ODI series. In the first ODI, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to have a bat first.