Australia's Preparation for Champions Trophy Ends with Whitewash in Sri Lanka

Australia's preparations for the Champions Trophy have come to an end with a whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka at Colombo's Premadasa Stadium. Battling numerous injuries, the Australian team faced a 49-run defeat in the first ODI, followed by a massive 174-run loss in the second match. This victory was a memorable one for Sri Lanka, who won the two-match ODI series 2-0.

Australia's team, led by Steve Smith, suffered the humiliation of losing both matches in the series. In the first ODI in Colombo, Sri Lanka won by 49 runs, and in the final match, Australia suffered an even heavier defeat, losing by a record margin of 174 runs.

In this series, which was set up as a preparation for the Champions Trophy, Australia was outplayed. With key players like Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out due to injury, things worsened when left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Stark pulled out at the last moment for personal reasons. Additionally, the team was without Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh, further depleting their strength.

With five regular players missing, Australia suffered a heavy blow in the Sri Lanka series, which raises concerns for their upcoming challenges in the Champions Trophy.

On the day of the final match, Sri Lanka batted first after winning the toss, and with a century from Kusal Mendis, they posted 281 runs for the loss of four wickets. In response, Australia crumbled to just 107 runs, marking their lowest-ever score in ODI cricket in the subcontinent. The highest contribution of 29 runs came from captain Steve Smith's bat.