Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was moved by the gesture of Sri Lankan cricket fans as sea of spectators flocked the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for the fifth ODI on Friday (June 24).
A number of local fans were sporting the Australian jersey and waving their national flag during the final ODI, thanking the visitors for their tour to the island nation amid the difficult times.
Aaron Finch and company also received a standing ovation from the Colombo crowd after they registered a consolation victory in the fifth ODI.
There were messages of thanks written on banners for the Australian cricket team as the crowd appreciated the hard-fought cricket in the white-ball series.
Notably, Sri Lanka is batting its worst financial turmoil as citizens are facing severe shortages of food, fuel, and other essentials. The country of 22 million people has also experienced weeks of power blackouts in the wake of the economic and political crisis.
"It was pretty extraordinary. 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," Maxwell told cricket.com.au after the fifth ODI.
He then made a cheeky remark about the love-hate relationship the Australian teams share with crowds during their overseas trips.
"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.
"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," he added.
While Australia won the three-T20I series 2-1, the hosts bounced back to clinch the five-ODI series 3-2.
Both the team will now lock horns in a two-match Test series, starting June 29.
