Hazlewood, Warner and Hasaranga: Lessons learnt from Australia's win over Sri Lanka

Despite losing the series 4-1, Sri Lanka produced a thrilling run chase in the last of five T20Is to deny hosts Australia an unbeaten summer's cricket, but what did we actually learn from the series?

Australia can cope without Warner

Aaron Finch may captain Australia, but Warner is the talismanic leader of the side, and his records at the top of the order across each format highlight how important he is to his country.

Though he is expected to help Australia defend their World Cup title later this year, the series will have reassured fans that others can score runs in his place, albeit against a weakened Sri Lanka outfit.

Ben McDermott struggled at times, falling to the first ball of the third game, but the likes of Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis contributed important scores on several occasions to make up for this, and even McDermott began the series with a half century.

Warner is an irreplaceable presence at the top of the order, but there is no lack of experience and firepower in his absence, and Finch's tinkering with the top order – holding himself back at No.3 and opening with Ashton Agar – surely highlights Australia's present confidence, rather than a panicked search for a long-term successor.

Hasaranga is far from Sri Lanka's only threat

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga is pivotal to their white-ball game, and his recent big-money move to Royal Challengers Bangalore for 10.75 crore (about £1.08million) shows how sought-after his talents are.

The leg-spinner is at the top of his game and is still just 24 years old, with a T20I bowling average of only 13.75. It wasn't a dream month in Australia after his Covid-enforced absence though, coming so soon after returning from a hamstring injury in January.

Of the three games he missed, the visitors were resoundingly beaten twice, but did manage a remarkable victory without the 2021 World Cup's leading wicket-taker.

^{Kusal Mendis played a match-winning hand in the final game of the series (William West/AFP via Getty Images)}

That he finished with 26 runs and five wickets in his two games marked a solid return for the ICC's third-rated T20I bowler. In his absence, the likes of Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka shone with the bat, mustering 284 runs and the two highest scores of the series between them.

Sri Lanka are surely thankful that they can rely on a cricketer of his talent, but just as Australian fans are encouraged by their side's success without Warner, Sri Lankan fans will have been heartened by their consolation win without him.

Zampa's IPL disappointment

Adam Zampa was one of the star bowlers in the 2021 World Cup, taking 13 wickets in seven matches, as his side lifted the trophy for the first time in their history.

However, he was bitterly disappointed not to be picked up in the IPL's mega-auction last weekend, after he was released by former side Royal Challengers Bangalore, who picked up Hasaranga as a likely replacement.

Across the series, Zampa took only five wickets for 103 runs in four games, with three of those coming in one match, and twice failed to take a single scalp. He finished with the fifth-most wickets in the series, but he will have wanted to better exhibit his skills so soon after his IPL rejection.

Speaking to cricket.com.au, he said: "It's very hard as an overseas spinner, particularly if you're just a specialist spinner.

"I think there'll be opportunities maybe next year with the IPL though… I think I'd be a valuable addition to any of those squads particularly with the way that I'm bowling at the moment."

^{Ashton Agar was tried in a number of roles across the series (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)}

Hazlewood shows cross-format qualities

Josh Hazlewood is now the only bowler to feature in the ICC's top 10 bowlers for T20I (2nd), ODI (2nd), and Test cricket (8th), after yet another stellar summer, in which he won the T20I World Cup and defeated England 4-0 in the Ashes.

Despite playing only three games against Sri Lanka, he took the most wickets in the series (eight) for only 67 runs at an economy of 5.41 – the third-best of the series.

Hazlewood once again showed throughout the series that in the shorter formats of the game, where blistering bouncers and 90mph thunderbolts are so sought-after, a simple, unerring, and unrelenting line and length can prove to be just as effective, just as often.

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