Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell leaves no stone unturned in thanking the cricket fans in Sri Lanka for their support during the limited-overs series against the Islanders after thousands of supporters flocked the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for the 5th ODI on Friday, June 24. A lot of Sri Lankan fans were seen at the venue donning the Australian yellow jerseys and waving the Australian national flag during the 5th ODI, thanking the Australian players for visiting the island nation.
The Australian team received a standing ovation from the Colombo crowd after they sealed a consolation win in the final ODI after conceding the series to Sri Lanka. The island nation is going through its worst financial crisis since independence in 1948, forcing the island nation’s population to endure power cuts, shortages and months of sometimes violent protests.
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However, a section of cricket fans in the country came out to support the hists throughout the 8 matches as the venues had an electric atmosphere. Notably, as per the reporters of news agency Reuters, the Sri Lankan fans donned the Australian yellow and were seen carrying the Australian national flag after a social media campaign urged them to make the visitors feel warm.
Hard to recall a visiting team getting a reception quite like the Aussies have today. Sensational stuff 🇱🇰 #SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/9fcn6AJ6Jj
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) June 24, 2022
Speaking to cricket.com.au after the 5th ODI win, Glenn Maxwell explained his experience and made a cheeky comment about the love-hate relationship the Australian teams share with crowds during their overseas trips. He said, “I was just telling the boys ‘that was one of the most special feelings, being able to walk around the ground and have a foreign country all cheer for you. A lot of times when Australia tours, we are generally the enemy and there is not many Australian fans in the stands but to have the support and fans that are here at the moment is truly extraordinary.”
"We're generally the enemy" 😅
The scenes in Colombo after the fifth ODI were unreal and left Glenn Maxwell and the Aussies stunned as fans thanked them for touring 🥰 #SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/Xugt5KVmyX
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 24, 2022
Glenn Maxwell further explained, “Everyone’s wearing yellow. They have got all the Australian flags all over the place. It’s really special and credit to everyone who has been able to get here. It’s been tough obviously for the locals and for them to come out to support us and entertain them and they have had a really good time during the one-day series.”
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Australia came up with an all-round show as they bundled out Sri Lanka for a meager score of 160 before chasing down the target in just 39.3 overs. However, Sri Lanka won the ODI series 3-2. Glenn Maxwell has returned to the Test squad as Australia and Sri Lanka will battle it out in a 2-match Test series, starting June 29 in Galle.
