Fans turns on Aussie youngster after Sri Lanka ODI humiliation

Australia has slumped from bad to much worse, with fans turning on one youngster in particular after a humiliating defeat to Sri Lanka.

Australia’s dismal One-Day International form has continued, humiliated by Sri Lanka in a record-breaking defeat ahead of this month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.

For the second straight 50-over match against Sri Lanka, Australia was comprehensively outplayed by the hosts, limping to an embarrassing 174-run defeat.

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It is the fifth highest margin of defeat and Australia’s 107 all out is the lowest total in Asia in the country’s long and usually proud one-day history, with Sri Lanka celebrating its heaviest ever victory over the Aussies.

Kusal Mendis hit a super 101 from 115 balls to anchor Sri Lanka’s 4/281 from its 50 overs, which looked an imposing target on a slow, flat pitch.

A misfiring Australian attack failed to make many inroads with the ball, with skipper Steve Smith using seven bowlers and four of them taking a single wicket, led by Ben Dwarshuis (1/47) and Sean Abbott (1/41).

Young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk earned the vitriol of many cricket fans online after he fell cheaply again in Australia’s response, this time for just nine runs from as many balls, as the visitors were rolled in 24.2 overs.

Watch Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal in the video player above

Jake Fraser-McGurk only seems to know one way – and it’s not working. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

But the reality is none of the Aussie batters impressed with the willow, Smith’s 29 from 34 balls the best they could offer, with concerns over the Australian line-up for the Champions Trophy growing louder by the match.

Dunith Wellalage’s 4/35 from 7.2 overs led the way for Sri Lanka, backed up by Asitha Fernando and Wanindu Hasaranga’s equal figures of 3/23.

England, South Africa and Afghanistan, Australia’s opponents in Group B of the eight-team limited overs tournament, must be licking their lips over the side’s current troubles.

After Australia was largely untroubled in a dominant 2-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka, hopes were high of a repeat performance in the green and gold uniforms.

But it got off to a terrible start when Sri Lanka made 214 in the first ODI on Wednesday before bowling Australia out for just 165 in the 34th over.

Kusal Mendis showed Australia how it’s done. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

This was a whole level below that, however, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals in a meek defeat that delighted the home fans and had observers scrambling for the record books.

“Australia will be very, very disappointed with this leading into the Champions Trophy,” former Test star Simon Katich said on Channel 7.

“A number of players were keen to push their case and have missed out.”

But that was a mild assessment compared to those from fans and journalists on X, with 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk squarely in many of their thoughts.

The Victorian now has a total of 98 runs from seven ODIs.

Sports reporter Lachlan Jeffery tweeted: “I’m still yet to see what people think they see in Jake Fraser-McGurk. He has minimal technique and a propensity to throw his wicket away rapidly. Another prime example there.”

Captain Steve Smith only offered brief resistance. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Cricket writer Nic Savage offered: “Jake Fraser-McGurk hasn’t survived beyond the fifth over in an ODI.”

Cricket fan Nancy Katariya declared: “The Fraser-McGurk experiment needs to stop right now. He doesn’t belong at this level.”

Some of the tamer comments that we can print here suggested this should be the end of Fraser-McGurk’s international career for now.

One asked: “How is he getting a game over (Sam) Konstas? He has absolutely 0 runs on the board.”

Another stated: ”He ain’t no batsman, he’s a suburban slogger.”

A third wrote: “I think that’ll be the end of his international career for a little bit till he proves himself again.”

Australia’s bowling attack also barely fired a shot. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

A fourth said: “Why does this bloke keep getting chances at international level?”

Yet Fraser-McGurk was far from the only player to fail in this humiliating defeat and the rest of the team wasn’t spared criticism from those watching on.

From a reasonable position at 3/79, Australia collapsed to lose seven wickets for just 28 runs.

“Just embarrassing,” wrote one fan on X.

“Wishing the Aussies all the world’s luck in the Champions Trophy. They’re gonna need it,” wrote another.

Sri Lankan fan Dulith Kasun then suggested bluntly: “This is the poorest Australian team ever seen in ODI cricket.”

The side will need to find a way to reverse its form quickly or similar results could be ahead in the Champions Trophy.

Originally published as Fans turns on Aussie youngster after Sri Lanka ODI humiliation