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Sri Lanka produced a dramatic fightback against Australia in their T20 World Cup 2026 encounter, but it was Pathum Nissanka’s jaw-dropping catch that stole the spotlight. The stunning effort in the 17th over not only dismissed Glenn Maxwell but also symbolised Sri Lanka’s remarkable turnaround after a brutal Australian start. With Australia eyeing a total well beyond 200, Nissanka’s athletic brilliance shifted the momentum decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Pathum Nissanka took a blinder to remove Glenn Maxwell
The moment arrived on the very first ball of the 17th over. Dushan Hemantha tossed one up outside off, tempting Maxwell into unleashing his trademark reverse sweep. Maxwell struck it flat and hard towards backward point, and for a split second it looked destined to race to the boundary.
But Nissanka had other ideas. Stationed at backward point, the Sri Lankan opener timed his leap to perfection, stretching high over his head to grab the ball cleanly. Despite losing balance and falling to the turf, he showed incredible composure to maintain control as he hit the ground.
It was redemption in style. Earlier in the innings, Nissanka had put down a simpler chance. This time, however, he held onto one of the toughest opportunities of the night — and Maxwell’s departure proved to be a massive turning point.
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Australia’s innings of two contrasting halves
The opening assault led by Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head left Sri Lanka scrambling early on. The duo powered their side to 70 runs in the powerplay and stitched together a fluent 100-run partnership. At 100 in just 8.2 overs, a mammoth total of 220–240 seemed well within reach.
Head smashed 56, playing with trademark aggression, while Marsh contributed a commanding 54. Their clean striking had Australia cruising at 110/2 after 10 overs. But the tide turned dramatically in the second half. Once Head departed, Australia lost direction. Marsh followed soon after, and the middle order faltered under increasing pressure from Sri Lanka’s spinners. From a commanding position, Australia slipped alarmingly, losing four wickets for just 26 runs.
Maxwell and Josh Inglis attempted to stabilise the innings, but the tempo had dipped significantly. Sri Lanka’s bowlers tightened their lines, varied their pace cleverly, and chipped away at the wickets. The star with the ball was Hemantha, who claimed three crucial wickets. His clever variations and calm execution in the middle overs played a key role in dragging Australia back. Australia eventually folded for 181 all out in their 20 overs — a total that looked modest considering their position at the halfway stage.
