Read the article of Sri Lanka vs Australia 2nd ODI 1983 - Australia tour of Sri Lanka 4-match one-day international series of the 2nd ODI match played between Australia and Sri Lanka at P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo in 16th April 1983.
Opener Sidath Wettimuny's well-made half-century, All-rounder Arjuna Ranatunga's scintillating fifty and Ranjan Madugale's quick-fire 37 steers to Sri Lanka crushing four-wicket victory over Australia and go up 2-0 lead in the second ODI.
AUSTRALIA score 207/5 (45 Overs) with top scorer by Graham Yallop 59 (63) and Greg Chappell 54 not out (76)
Sri Lanka best bowler by Rumesh Ratnayake 2/38 (9) and Vinothen John 1/33 (9)
SRI LANKA chased 213/6 (43.2 Overs) with top scorer by Sidath Wettimuny 56 (92), Arjuna Ranatunga 55 (39) and Ranjan Madugale 37 (23)
Australia best bowler by Bruce Yardley 3/28 (9) and Allan Border 1/10 (2)
This match reported by Peter McFarline (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Australia's preparation for their first Test match became something of an embarrassment when the side lost the second one-day internanational at the Saravanamuttu Stadium.
While there were excuses for the loss in the first match on Wednesday — the team had been in the torrid zone climate for only 30 hours — there were none in the second.
The batsmen found reasonable form. scoring 5-207 from the allotted 45 overs, then managed to break the back of the local batting. But some unorthodox bowling changes by captain Greg Chappell, loose bowling and poor fielding allowed Sri Lanka to win a game that it should have lost.
A fifth-wicket stand of 69 runs in 33 minutes and seven overs between all-rounder Arjuna Ranatunga and Ranjan Madugalle turned around a contest the tourists obviously believed they had under control.
Left-arm spinner Tom Hogan, Australia's best bowler in the first match, suffered horribly as did Chappell with his medium-pace. Hogan at one stage conceded 38 runs in three overs and finished with 1-62 from nine overs, Chappell was treated with almost the same disdain, his 6.2 overs costing 37 runs.
Ranatunga ended the match with an over and four balls to go when he straight hit Chappell for six, his third such stroke in a man-of-the-match winning innings of 55 not out.
The ferocity of his hitting was such that he faced only 39 deliveries, hitting three 4s and three 6s. Madugalle, for his part, smashed 37 runs from 23 deliveries with three boundaries and a 6.
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