Australia has won the first One Day International against Sri Lanka in Colombo by three wickets with 19 balls to spare.

In doing so Mitchell Starc has set a record for a bowler claiming 100 one–day international wickets.

His 100th wicket came on Sunday in the 33rd over of the game, when Dhananjaya de Silva was dismissed after a diving catch from George Bailey.

Mathew Wade plays a shot as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Perera looks on. Photo: ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty

Starc, who finished with 3-32 from his 10 overs, had earlier struck with the fifth ball of the match, bowling opener Kusal Perera.
 He finished with 3-32 from his 10 overs in his 52nd ODI to break the record held by Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq, which had stood for almost two decades.

Starc is also the fastest to 100 dismissals in terms of the number of balls he has delivered.
 It took him 2452 balls to reach the target compared with Shoaib Akhtar’s 2707.

Fightback with the ball

Australia were desperate to find form after suffering a 3-0 drubbing in the recent Test series, but it was Sri Lanka – surprisingly given first use of the wicket by Steve Smith – who started brightly to be well placed at the midway point of the innings.

“Nice to be on this side of the result.
Steve Smith

The home side built a strong platform on a dry and slow wicket, moving to 2-124 at over four runs an over before all-rounder James Faulkner (4-38) struck two crucial blows in quick succession.

Faulkner claimed the wicket of Kusal Mendis (67) with the first ball of second spell, before ending the over with the wicket of Angelo Matthews for a duck, after being caught spectacularly by Travis Head.
 Mitchell Starc (3-32), who dismissed Kusal Perera in the first over of the innings, returned to take two more wickets as Sri Lanka lost four middle-order wickets for 49 when the brakes were put on the run-rate.

Australian cricket captain Steve Smith celebrates his 50 during the ODI win in Colombo. Photo: ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty

Australia was helped over the line in the run chase by half–centuries from Steve Smith and Aaron Finch.

Smith told ESPN’s Crickinfo after the match he was proud of the way the boys fought back.

“Perhaps, I thought there’d be a bit more dew.  The wicket broke up, wasn’t the easiest one-day wicket to bat on. I thought the bowlers did a good job to restrict them to 227, they took the pace off, put them in the right areas and made it difficult.

“Couple of good partnerships got the job done. The guys had some good plans, sweeping , coming down the pitch, and going deep in the crease. Nice that the guys were able to execute.”

James Faulkner was named man of the match.