Defending champions Australia have bounced back courtesy of Marcus Stoinis’ half-century against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, October 25. He registered a 17-ball 50 as the Aussies secured a crucial win.
One of the highlights of his innings was his aggressive intent against the spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. Usually, he is a slow starter to spin, but due to his IPL stint, he is now a much-improved player.
All-rounder Stoinis, in his post-match presentation, said:
“Yeah, definitely the IPL has changed my cricket and helped me evolve. And it’s not only playing on the wickets, it’s having the coaches from all over the world, having players from different countries. I’ve played for quite a few years in the IPL and quite a few teams, so you come across a range of techniques and mentalities about how to play spin. Yeah, it has helped me improve for sure.”
“I was actually quite nervous, to be honest, so yeah, the intention was just to go put an impact on the game and probably provide a bit of energy for the boys and try and get a spark going,” he further added.
“I was just batting and looking at a score” – Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis’ innings were a game-changer for the Aussies and helped them reduce their run rate significantly after a huge defeat in the first game against New Zealand. When asked whether he made up his mind to go after the bowlers, Stoinis said:
“Not really. I mean, it was just batting and looking at a score, obviously, and then maybe towards the last couple of overs that I faced, I thought should I rein it in or should I keep going, but it’s probably just the time; you just keep going. If you hit one and get caught on the boundary, it’s part of the game, I guess.”
Australia will next be seen in action against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 28.
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