Sri Lanka vs. Australia second ODI

Date: Saturday, 16 April 1983

Venue: P. Sara Stadium, Colombo

Toss: Sri Lanka who elected to field

Scores:

Australia 207/5 in 45 overs (Graham Yallop 59 off 63 balls, Greg Chappell 54 n.o., Kepler Wessels 39; Rumesh Ratnayake 2/38, Vinothen John 1/33, Arjuna Ranatunga 1/45)

Sri Lanka 213/6 in 43.2 overs (Sidath Wettimuny 56 off 92, Arjuna Ranatunga 55 off 39, Ranjan Madugalle 37 off 23, Susil Fernando 34 off 81; Bruce Yardley 3/28, Tom Hogan 1/62, Dennis Lillie 0/30 in nine, Rodney Hogg 0/18 in seven)

Result: Sri Lanka won by four wickets

Umpires: Dooland Buultjens and Herbi Felsinger

Player of the Match: Arjuna Ranatunga

The first ODI was played on 13 April, the day before the 1983 Sinhala and Hindu New Year that year, at P. Sara Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka won the match by two wickets after they successfully chased 169 runs to win. Guy de Alwis was the Man of the Match.

Then Sri Lanka won the second match on the back of a brilliant, belligerent, and unexpected knock from young Arjuna Ranatunga on 16 April, two days after the New Year, on a Saturday, for the utter jubilation of the local cricket fans.

Then the remaining two ODIs held after the Kandy Test were both had to be abandoned at SSC due to bad weather. Yet Sri Lanka thus recorded their first-ever ODI series victory against the Aussies, 2-0 in the four-match series.

In this second ODI at P. Sara, the home team restricted the strong Aussies to 207/5 in their allotted 45 overs. In the hosts’ reply, they made 101 for the opening wicket - Sidath Wettimuny and Susil Fernando, yet quite slowly. Then they collapsed: 1/101 (Wettimuny), 2/101 (Fernando), 3/107 (Roy Dias), and 4/108 (Duleep Mendis).

When the 19-year-old Arjuna joined Ranjan Madugalle in the middle for the fifth wicket, Sri Lanka needed over eight, nine runs per an over to win the match; in improbable target at that time for the local cricket fans.

Then they saw the most unbelievable. Power hitting by the youngster created a sudden spark at the P. Sara. The live commentaries were on, on both TV and radio: Palitha Perera and Premasara Epasinghe were in full flow!

Ranatunga and Madugalle shared 69 very quick runs before the latter was cleaned up by Tom Hogan. Sri Lanka still needed 30 more to win. Then Arjuna finished the match in the 44th over (43.2) with D.S. de Silva at the other end, being not out on seven. Ranatunga whacked Chappell for a six to win the match. It was his second six of the match. He hit three fours in his 39-ball unbeaten 55, a sheer thriller that lasted 64 minutes. What a match that was!

After the tour Chappell had told former Australian Captain and his elder brother Ian Chappell, upon their return to Australia and being inquired about the series, this: There was a chubby youngster who played for Sri Lanka. One day, he is going to change Sri Lanka cricket.

Greg Chappell was absolutely perfect in his assessment. After 13 years from then, that chubby youngster led Sri Lanka to the World Cup victory, against Australia, in the tournament final!

Here is the Wisden report of the second ODI:

At Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo, April 16. Sri Lanka won by four wickets. A fine innings by Ranatunga, who hit three 6s and three 4s in his 39 balls, brought victory with ten balls to spare after Sri Lanka had needed 90 off the last twelve overs. Sri Lanka’s openers had made a solid start with 101 before both were out in the 29th over, and Dias and Mendis followed two overs later, Yardley taking three of the wickets in ten balls. Earlier Australia, put in, made steady progress with Yallop scoring freely with one 6 and six 4s, off 63 balls.