Allrounder Glenn Maxwell says it’s difficult to find any positives from Australia’s five-wicket loss in their opening Twenty20 clash with Sri Lanka.
The series concludes with game two at the MCG on Monday night as George Bailey’s seventh-ranked side attempt to find an answer to the top-ranked Sri Lankans’ ability to restrict scoring late in the innings, led by paceman Lasith Malinga.
Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara took 1-40 from their combined tally of eight overs at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Saturday night as Adam Voges (25 not out off 29 balls) was unable to find the boundary rope.
“Very disappointing. We felt like we got outplayed in all three forms which is not a good thing,” Maxwell said on Sunday.
“We’ve got a lot of things to take out of the game and work on for Melbourne. Not a whole lot of positives came out of the night apart from Davey Warner’s innings.”
Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh scored only seven runs between them while Finch’s opening partner Warner belted 90 off 62 deliveries.
Sri Lanka reached 5-139 with seven balls to spare in reply to Australia’s 3-137.
“They (Finch and Marsh) are pretty keen to put that game behind them and start again,” Maxwell said.
“Finch has had such a great Big Bash League and one-day comp (at domestic level this season) so he’s desperate to get amongst the runs tomorrow night.”
Maxwell said Marsh’s form in the BBL had been unbelievable.
“He’s in great nick and I think it’s just that one innings (at international level) that’s going to turn it around for him,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell claimed 2-15 off three overs with his offspinners but the middle-order strokeplayer didn’t get a bat in Australia’s innings.
The Test hopeful said he’d been working hard on his bowling, with Australia due to name a Test squad to tour India within the next week.