Mitchell Marsh believed 181 was a competitive total, though Sri Lanka were home with two overs to spare at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday to book their spot in the Super 8.
The Australian
captain accepted that his team was outplayed on the night as the World No. 2 run the risk of crashing out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in the group stage.
“I thought it was a competitive total. We probably left ourselves a few short after the start we had. Well played to Sri Lanka, they outplayed us tonight. We know that at our best we can make big scores. We just lost our way towards the back end,” Mitchell Marsh said after Australia’s 8-wicket loss to Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka bowled really well towards the back end. We knew we were a few short. Not much else to say except that SL outplayed us. We’re in the lap of the gods now I think. Lot of emotions in the room right now. Haven’t been at our best. Disappointed bunch at the moment,” Marsh added.
Can Australia Qualify For Super 8?
Australia still has a chance to stay in the competition, though it’s a slim one. To qualify, Zimbabwe must lose both of their upcoming matches — against Ireland on February 17 and against Sri Lanka on the 19th.
In the first match, Ireland, who are also vying for a spot in the next round, will be a tough opponent for Zimbabwe. In the second match, Sri Lanka, one of the most in-form teams, might rest some players since they have already secured their qualification.
If Ireland defeats Zimbabwe, Australia will need to reach four points by beating Oman on February 20, and they must win by a margin large enough to surpass Ireland’s Net Run Rate (currently at +0.150 compared to Australia’s +0.414).
(With inputs from Agencies)
