Australia Keep Alive Cricket World Cup Title Hopes With Five-Wicket Win Over Sri Lanka

Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh delivered when their team needed them the most as Australia breathed life into their floundering World Cup campaign with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Monday. Leg-spinner Zampa claimed four wickets as Australia bowled out Sri Lanka for 209 despite half-centuries by Kusal Perera (78) and Pathum Nissanka (61).

Looking on course for a 300-plus score, Sri Lanka faced a bizarre batting collapse to lose 10 wickets for 84 runs.

Inglis (58), who scored his maiden World Cup fifty, Marsh (52) and Marnus Labuschagne (40) then did the heavy lifting with the bat as Australia overhauled the target in 35.2 overs, giving a solid boost to their net run rate.

While Australia rose to eighth position on the table with their first win of the tournament, the loss severely dented Sri Lanka's chances of progressing to the semifinals as they sit at the ninth spot with three defeats from as many games.

Defending a below-par total, Dilshan Madushanka (3/38) bowled a fiery first spell which included a maiden over and a double wicket maiden in which he claimed the prized scalps of David Warner and Steve Smith.

Warner immediately called for review when the field umpire gave him out. The prolific southpaw left the ground fuming when the DRS ruled it in favour of the on-field umpire. Smith on the other hand was caught plumb in front of the wicket.

While Madushanka was frugal, Marsh took off against the other bowlers. He smashed three boundaries to plunder 12 runs off young spinner Dunith Wellalage in the ninth over.

Marsh raced to his fifty but Chamika Karunaratne sent a sharp throw from the deep to end his innings, as wicketkeeper Kushal Mendis made no error in collecting the ball and