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Watch: Dust storm during AUS vs SL tie leaves spectators scampering for safety after WC hoardings fall onto stands
Australian stars Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell looked at the incident from afar with sheer shock. Fortunately, none of the spectators were injured.
Bouncing back from a strong opening stand that Sri Lanka had put on, Australia inflicted an epic collapse in an almost must-win game for either side in the 2023 World Cup. However, amid the final phase of the Sri Lanka innings, the Ekana Stadium donned the look of a post-apocalyptic movie scene when dust storm in Lucknow halted the match for a brief while on Monday. (Australia vs Sri Lanka Live Score, World Cup 2023)
It happened in the 43rd over of the Sri Lanka innings when the 1996 champions had huffed and puffed their way past the 200-run mark for the loss of nine wickets. The wind in Lucknow had picked up and it looked very gusty; hence on-field umpires were urged to pause the match.
So strong were the winds that the World Cup hoardings attached to the roof of the Lucknow stadium fell on the stands along with other objects as spectators scampered for safety. The camera also caught Australian stars Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell looking at the incident from afar with sheer shock. Fortunately, none of the spectators were injured.
Sri Lanka started the match on a stunning note with openers Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka scoring their respective half centuries en route to a 125-run stand. Australia captain Pat Cummins eventually opened the floodgates with the crucial breakthrough in the 22nd over as he dismissed Nissanka before Adam Zampa ran through the line-up with an excellent four-wicket haul. It was Zampa's 10th four-wicket haul in ODIs with only the late great Shane Warne standing atop among Australians.
Charith Asalanka looked to resist the collapse with a fighting 39-ball 25, but lacked support as none of the batters could go past 10.
Sri Lanka eventually folded for 209 in 43.3 overs.
