Records broken in the first T20I between Sri Lanka and Australia

When Sri Lanka won the toss and sent Australia in to bat for the first time in the series, they couldn’t have possibly foreseen the carnage that was to unfold in the following few hours. Then again, when records are made, seldom are warning signs clearly provided.

And so it was that Australia, with a new-look opening partnership of David Warner and Glenn Maxwell (Aaron Finch was unavailable due to injury) and under the captaincy of Warner, the visitors set out to continue the winning momentum that they had established in the ODI series.

And they continued that as they beat Sri Lanka by 85 runs after posting 263/3 and restricting Sri Lanka to 178/9 to take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series. There were plenty of records that were broken in the game.

While the record for the highest score in T20s wasn’t one of them, here are some of the records that were broken in the first T20I at Pallekele:

Highest total by a team in T20Is

Barely two weeks ago, Sri Lanka were the proud owners of the record for the highest total in all three formats of cricket. But now, after conceding 263/3, not only did they relinquish their title in the T20I format but also ensured that the record for highest totals in Tests, ODIs and T20Is have come against three Asian powerhouses in India, Pakistan and now Sri Lanka.

On the back of Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 145, Australia secured the record for highest T20I total, overtaking Sri Lanka’s record of 260/6 against Kenya in the 2007 World T20 in South Africa. Going into the final over of the innings needing 14 to take the world record, the visitors got there comfortably.

Two consecutive boundaries from Travis Head brought up the 100 partnership for the fourth wicket and a full toss on leg stump was despatched over long-on and just like Australia had the record. Unfortunately though, they could only equal the record for the highest T20 total as Head’s wicket off the last ball meant they were qual with RCB’s mark of 263.

Most sixes hit by a batsman against Sri Lanka in a T20I

Before the start of the calendar year, the most sixes hit by any batsman in a T20I innings against Sri Lanka was six. Since then, that record has been broken twice. First by New Zealand’s Colin Munro, who hit seven sixes in his 14-ball fifty against Sri Lanka in Auckland in January.

Now Glenn Maxwell has broken the record once again as his unbeaten 145 included nine sixes, which is now the record for most by a batsman against Sri Lanka. Opening for the first time in his T20I career, the 27-year-old feasted on a steady diet of full tosses and hit-me balls as he helped Australia post a world record total.

Although he was unable to get to his 150, he still managed the second-highest score in T20Is behind only his compatriot Aaron Finch, who also holds the record for the most sixes hit by an Australian batsman in a T20I innings with 14, during his 156 against England.

Sri Lanka’s heaviest T20I defeat

Chasing 264 was never going to be easy even on a pitch that wasn’t offering too much help for the bowlers and allowed the batsman to hit through the line. So while the intention might have been to win, the hosts would have been looking to ensure that they didn’t suffer a humiliating loss.

After all, the last time the world record for highest total in T20Is was created, the opponents went on to lose the game by 172 runs, which still remains the heaviest defeat in T20I history. While Sri Lanka aren’t Kenya to lose by the same margin, they still needed to save some face.

While they managed to do that by putting up their second-highest total while batting second in T20Is, it sitll wasn’t enough to prevent them from succumbing to their heaviest defeat in T20Is. Their 85-run loss to Australia was their biggest in the format beating their 81-run loss to the same opponents in the 2010 World T20.

Most T20I centuries hit at a venue

Glenn Maxwell's century also created another slice history as it was third T20I century to be hit at the venue. Before his knock, at no venue had there been three T20I centuries hit and Pallekele became the first to achieve that unique feat.

Tillakaratne Dilshan’s unbeaten 104 against the same opponents at the ground in 2011 was the first while Brendon McCullum’s 123 against Bangladesh in the 2012 World T20 is the other century to be hit at the venue.

One of those other three venues happen to be Lauderhill where only last month, India and West Indies played a T20I series. In the first match of the series was when both centuries were scored and they both came from opposing teams. While Evin Lewis scored the first T20I century at the venue, KL Rahul followed it up with another in the next innings in a game that saw plenty of fours, sixes and runs.

The other two venues where two centuries were hit are Johannesburg and Dharamsala.

First batsman to hit a century in maiden T20I innings as opener

After being dropped from the ODI squad, Glenn Maxwell was brought in for the T20I squad. And not only was he roped in but he was also asked to open for the first time in his T20I career after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field in the first T20I.

Although he had opening the batting before in T20s, his highest score was a mere 23 for Mumbai Indians against Rajasthan Royals in 2013 before this knock. So it was certainly surprising when he not only broke the shackles but also became the first batsman to hit a century in his maiden T20I innings as opener.

The previous highest score by an opener in his maiden T20I innings was Damien Martyn's 96 against South Africa in 2006. And by registering his maiden T20I century and his career-best T20 score of 145*, he added another illustrious record to his kitty.