Shane Warne, Australia vs Sri Lanka 2019
Australia bags the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Australia’s premier speedster Mitchell Starc’s return to form has helped Australia in whitewashing Sri Lanka in the two-match series to seal the Warne-Muralitharan trophy. The hosts have obliterated the visitors by a gargantuan margin of 366 runs to take the second match as well as the series. Australia had won the first Test match by an innings and 40 runs.

Starc who had to face the backlash in the recent past for his mundane form was able to answer his critics in style. The southpaw pacer scalped 5-54 in the first innings and backed it another fifer to take 5-46 in the second dig. Thus, the left-handed talisman scalped 10-wickets in the match and he was awarded the Man of the match award.

Michael Vaughan, Australia vs Sri Lanka 2019, Joe Burns, Travis Head
Travis Head (Credits – Twitter)

Starc returns back to form.

Australia posted a mammoth total of 534 runs in the first innings with the help of three centuries after Tim Paine won the toss and decided to bat first. Travis Head and Joe Burns added a monumental alliance of 308 runs for the fourth wicket after Australia was hanging at tenterhook on 28-3.

Furthermore, Kurtis Patterson also scored his maiden Test century while playing in his second Test match. Tim Paine also scored an unbeaten knock of 45 runs in the first innings.

Sri Lanka got off to a good start with their openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne adding 90 runs for the opening stand. However, the tourists lost wickets in a cluster as Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc.

Mitchell Starc 10-Wicket Haul Helps Australia in Whitewashing Sri Lanka
Mitchell Starc. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Cummins scalped 14 wickets in two Test matches.

The hosts decided not to enforce the follow-on and posted 196 runs in the second essay. The left-handed batsman Usman Khawaja also got back his Midas Touch as he scored a brilliant hundred. Travis Head continued his dream form going as the Australian deputy scored fifty in the second dig.

Sri Lanka once again succumbed to pressure in the second innings as they skittled out for a paltry score of 149 runs to lose the match by a big margin. Mitchell Starc was once again at his best and breathed down the neck of the guest’s batsmen.

Furthermore, Pat Cummins scalped three wickets in the second innings. Cummins was adjudged the Man of the series for taking 14 wickets in the series at an unbelievable average of 7.78.

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