Australia’s Twenty20 cricketers are lamenting little lapses which have come at a major cost in their failed series against Sri Lanka.
The Lankans hold a 2-0 lead entering the series finale in Adelaide on Wednesday and Australian batsman Travis Head says small errors have bugged the home side.
“Little moments in T20 cricket can cost you and we have had them in both games and been on the wrong side of things,” Head told reporters on Monday.
“In amongst that we have played some outstanding cricket and there’s some guys really in form.
“A little bit of luck in some places, and a little bit smarter play, and we’re on the winning side of things.”
Sri Lanka have triumphed on the last ball of both matches – the most recent thanks to all-rounder Asela Gunaratne’s heroics with the bat in Geelong on Sunday night.
Chasing 174 runs to win, the Lankans were in strife when needing 48 from the final three overs. Gunaratne then blasted three fours and four sixes, including the match-winning four off the last ball, finishing 84 not out from just 46 balls.
Head said while the result was painful, morale within the Australian squad remained high ahead of Wednesday’s Adelaide Oval encounter.
“The challenge now is game three with the series over, there’s still some guys who want to prove themselves at international cricket,” Head said.
“So it’s another great opportunity to play cricket for Australia and we want to win,” he said.
“We have got to come back strongly. It hasn’t been the greatest two games.
“We have been close but in those big moments we have lacked … you look back and there’s moments in the game where we probably should have been better. And that, in the end in T20 cricket, can cost you.”
– AAP