AUS VS SL - 1st T20I, Sri Lanka tour of Australia, 2022

That's a wrap to our coverage of this game. Promised to be a close affair at the innings break but Australia made short work of things eventually. Four more games in the series and the Lankans will hope that their batters adapt better in the coming matches. Let's hope we get more competitive games than this one. On that note, this is Hari Sadanandan signing off on behalf of Raju Peethala and Venkatesh. Cheers!

23:21 Local Time, 12:21 GMT, 17:51 IST: One of those games that was virtually over long before it was actually completed. 149 seemed a below-par score at the break but Australia's potent bowling attack made optimal use of a tacky two-paced SCG surface to slice through the Sri Lankan batting line-up. Barring Nissanka to some extent, none of the SL batters seemed comfortable at the crease and there were numerous mishits and runs off edges. Chandimal at the end hit a few blows but that was more about reducing the margin of defeat than anything else. Hazlewood and Zampa were the standouts with the ball, and were ably complimented by the rest. Sri Lanka should be disappointed, as it was a good opportunity for them to beat the World Champions but the hosts were too good in the end.

Starc to Chandimal, 1 run, very full and straight, jammed out past mid-on. Australia complete a comfortable win to go 1-0 up

Starc to Chandimal, FOUR, fortune for Chandimal! He had no clue to this one, heaved blindly and got a top-edge over short third

Starc to Chandimal, no run, made room for the inside out drive, got a full toss but couldn't put it away. Jammed to mid-off

Starc to Chandimal, SIX, super shot! Overpitched and Chandimal plays a glorious lofted drive over extra cover. Made a hint of room, bent his back leg and struck through the line

Starc to Binura Fernando, 1 run, very full and on off, jammed out to cover where Inglis fields sharply and has a shy at the bowler's end. Direct hit would have had Fernando but the throw misses and they eventually get the overthow

Starc to Chandimal, 1 run, short of a length on off stump, Chandimal heaves and mistimes this down to long-on. Wasn't all that far away from the fielder

Mitchell Starc [3.0-0-28-0] is back into the attack

Hazlewood to Chandimal, leg byes, 1 run, on that shortish spot again, Chandimal misses the pull and this goes off the back thigh

Hazlewood to Binura Fernando, 1 run, back of a length around off stump, Fernando gets behind the line and defends

Hazlewood to Chandimal, 1 run, Hazlewood almost gets his fifer! Banged away on that short of a length zone, Chandimal heaves and gets a top-edge that just lands short of the charging deep mid-wicket fielder

Hazlewood to Chandimal, no run, dug in short, skids off the deck and sneaks under Chandimal's pull stroke

Hazlewood to Chandimal, 2 runs, streaky but gets it over short third man! Back of a length outside off, Chandimal threw his hands at it and got a big slice over the infield

Binura Fernando, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Hazlewood to Chameera, out Caught by McDermott!! Massive top-edge, into the night skies and McDermott covers good ground to settle under this one near the square leg umpire. Chameera's heaves weren't going to get him far, not on this two-paced surface. Hazlewood got it to bounce extra from the hard length and induced a big mishit. Chameera c McDermott b Hazlewood 5(6)

Hazlewood to Chameera, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Cummins to Chandimal, FOUR, short ball, Chandimal waits and pulls it hard through backward square leg. There is a fielder in the deep but he's gotten this finer

Cummins to Chameera, 1 run, fuller and on middle, jammed out down to long-on

Cummins to Chandimal, 1 run, slower bouncer, Chandimal somehow ramps this over backward point