NEW DELHI: Skipper Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head smashed blazing half centuries before Sri Lanka hit back strongly to bowl out Australia for 181 in their T20 World Cup clash on Monday.

Returning to the playing XI after missing the first two games due to injury, Marsh made an immediate impact, hammering 54 off just 27 balls.

Head was just as destructive with a 29 ball 56 as the pair stitched together a stunning 104 run opening stand in under nine overs, putting Australia on course for a 200 plus total.

Sri Lanka, however, clawed their way back brilliantly in the final ten overs. Leg spinner Dushan Hemantha led the charge with figures of 3 for 37, while the last four Australian wickets tumbled for just six runs.

The decision to field first proved costly for Sri Lanka as Marsh and Head tore into the attack from the outset, peppering the boundary with a flurry of fours and sixes.

Stung by their 23 run defeat to Zimbabwe, Australia came out firing, plundering 16 runs off the very first over bowled by Dushmantha Chameera.

Marsh looked in sublime touch, punching crisply off the back foot through the off side.

Head flicked Chameera off his pads for his first boundary before Marsh muscled the pacer over midwicket for six.

Head then collected two more fours off Maheesh Theekshana to keep the momentum surging.

Sri Lanka’s troubles deepened in the third over when the 23 year old slingy pacer Matheesha Pathirana limped off with a hamstring injury, forcing Dasun Shanaka to complete the over.

Shanaka was immediately punished as Head cracked him through point and then launched him over deep square leg for a towering six.

Marsh then took apart Theekshana, smashing five consecutive boundaries as Australia stormed to 70 without loss in the powerplay.

Looking for a breakthrough, Shanaka turned to Hemantha, but Head greeted him with a six and a four. In the following over, Marsh struck Dunith Wellalage for a boundary and a maximum.

Australia’s hundred arrived in style when Marsh cleared the ropes off Hemantha.

But the tide turned dramatically. From 104 without loss, Australia crashed to 130 for four and lost their grip on the innings.

Glenn Maxwell chipped in with a brisk 22 off 15 balls before Pathum Nissanka made up for an earlier dropped chance with a stunning diving catch at point. Josh Inglis, who survived a scare early on, scored 27 off 22 balls, but Australia ultimately fell well short of the imposing total that once seemed certain.

(With PTI Inputs)