Sri Lanka fought against dramatically Australia their T20 World Cup 2026 encountered, but happened Pathum Nissanka‘s jaw-dropping catch came into focus. He didn’t just drop his stunning effort in ’17 Glenn Maxwell it also symbolized Sri Lanka’s remarkable turnaround after Australia’s brutal start. With Australia waiting for just over 200, Nissanka’s athletic brilliance swung the momentum decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Pathum Nissanka took the wicket to remove Glenn Maxwell
The moment came on the first ball of the 17th over. Dushan Hemantha He bowled one away, prompting Maxwell to unleash his trademark reverse sweep. Maxwell hit it back straight and hard and within a second he found himself wanting to race to the boundary.
But Nissanka had other ideas. Standing at backward point, the Sri Lankan opener reached over his head to catch the ball cleanly and executed his leap to perfection. Despite losing his balance and falling to the grass, he showed incredible composure to maintain control as he hit the ground.
It was a purchase in style. Earlier in the inning, Nissanka missed a simpler chance. But this time he got one of the most difficult opportunities of the night – and Maxwell’s departure was the big turning point.
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Two contrasting halves of Australia
The opening attack he led Mitchell Marsh and Head of Travis Left Sri Lanka early. The duo powered their side to 70 runs in the powerplay and put together a 100-run partnership. A mammoth total of 220-240 per 100 in just 8.2 shots seemed out of reach.
While Marsh was commanding for 54, the head smashed 56. Their clean innings had Australia cruising at 110/2 after 10 overs. However, the situation changed dramatically in the second half. After setting off, Australia lost direction. Marsh soon followed and the middle order weakened under increasing pressure from Sri Lanka’s spinners. From a team standpoint, Australia slipped alarmingly, losing four wickets for just 26 runs.
Maxwell and Josh English tried to stabilize the batting but the pace dropped considerably. Sri Lanka’s bowlers narrowed their lines, changed their tempos adeptly and smashed wickets. The star of the ball was Hemanta, who claimed three crucial wickets. His clever variations and calm execution in the middle overs played a key role in Australia’s comeback. Australia eventually reached 181 in the 20th over – which looked modest given their semi-final position.
