Dilshan, Jayawardene help Sri Lanka draw level

Sri Lanka thrashed Australia by eight wickets at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday to level the best-of-three tri-series finals 1-1. 

Chasing what seemed a competitive total by the home team, the visitors rode on a 179-run partnership for the opening wicket to overhaul the target with 34 balls to spare.

The third final will be played at the same venue on Thursday. 

Going into the match Australia had led the best-of-three final by virtue of their 15-run win in Brisbane.

Earlier, two of its batsmen powered Australia to a formidable 271 for six. Captain Michael Clarke and opener David both scored a century each to help their side recover from an early slump.

Opting to bat Australia lost Matthew Wade (14), bowled by off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan in the fifth over.

New man in Shane Watson took 34 balls for his 15 before he was run-out in the 16th over, with Australia's scoreboard reading 56 for two. 

From there on, it was Australia all the way, as Warner and Clarke joined hands.

Warner, who just managed to get fit on time for the game, showed no signs of any groin injury during his 100-run knock and registered his second successive century after his 163 in the first final on Sunday.

He became only the seventh Australian batsman to achieve the feat. 

However, going by his reputation, Warner played a very slow innings on Tuesday, as he took 140 balls for his century with the help of four fours and a lone six.

Warner was complemented well by his captain Clarke (117), who scored a century after a gap of nearly a year. 

He scored his last ton in ODIs against Bangladesh in April last year. It was his seventh ODI hundred.

Clarke's innings was in complete contrast to Warner, as his 117 came off 91 just balls with five fours and four sixes. 

After laying the foundation, Warner and Clarke opened up towards the end as Australia amassed 62 runs of the last seven overs.

The duo shared stitched together 184 runs for the third wicket to lay the foundation for Australia's total. 

Both Warner and Clarke were intent to play the waiting game and showed immense patience to consolidate Australia's innings after the hosts lost their first two wickets for 56 runs.

Clarke went full throttle in the 44th over of Ferveez Maharoof, which yielded 23 runs with a sequence of 6,4,6 and 4. 

While Clarke clipped Nuwan Kulasekara behind square leg in the 44th over for a single to complete his century in 81 balls, Warner reached the three figure mark an over later driving Lasith Malinga for a single.

But soon after completing his ton, Warner departed in the same over, held in the deep by Dilshan.

The hosts did not try to force the issue in the powerplays also. 

The first 10 mandatory powerplay overs produced 39 runs; the five overs of bowling powerplay between 16-20 overs yielded 28 runs and the batting powerplay between 32-36th over were worth 37 runs. 

Clarke was the busier of the two, needing only 52 balls for his fifty while Warner reached his own off 69 balls. 

Sri Lanka were uncharacteristically poor in the field with at least five catches put down, two of them by Rangana Herath. 

Lasith Malinga was the pick of Sri Lanka bowlers, picking up three wickets for just 40 runs from his 10 overs. 

The chase began good enough with Brett Lee conceding 12 runs in his first over but then there was a slice of luck in the second over when Jayawardene was caught behind for one, only for television reviews to reveal that the bowler Clint McKay had overstepped the bowling crease.

This was as close as Australians could have a sniff of a wicket for a long time as the two batsmen went after the bowlers, raising the first 50 off only 37 balls and bringing about the 100 in the 16th over. 

Dilshan hit his 12th ODI century, batting for 119 balls and hitting 10 fours.

He was eventually dismissed in the 39th over, at 234 for 2, hitting a Brett Lee delivery straight to Mike Hussey at square leg fence. 

However, Dilshan stayed long enough to raise 55 runs for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (51 not out), to go with his mammoth opening wicket stand. 

Mahela Jayawardene played the supporting role to perfection, scoring a quickfire 80 en route.

The Sri Lankan captain and Dilshan produced the best batting partnership of the series and brought the Australians on to their knees, hitting boundaries at will and nearly always managing to strike in the gap.

Jayawardene finally fell for 80 to James Pattinson, leg before wicket as he shaped to play on the onside in the 28th over. 

The Sri Lankan captain faced only 76 balls and hit eight fours and a six.

The Australians were at a loss to stem the flow of runs and none of their bowlers, including otherwise efficient left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty, could bowl with economy.

The Lankans didn't slack at any stage and the hectic pace continued unabated, the 150 being raised off only 133 balls in the 22nd over.

They rattled up the required runs in just 45-odd overs which made the chase of 272 runs under lights easy.