The George Town 18-year-old had kept the Australians in the game during the one-off youth Test match against the hosts that finished in a nailbiter on Saturday night.

Freeman first scored 36 off 69 balls batting at No.7 in Australia’s 9 declared for 269.

The offspinner opened the bowling on a turning Colombo track and was Australia’s leading wicket-taker with 3-82 off 32 overs.

Trailing Sri Lanka by 40 runs in the three-day clash, Freeman rescued his side from 5-50 to reach 151 after hitting 52 off 95 balls.

But the Sri Lankans snuck home to a three-wicket win.

Freeman had been given a chance to impress after falling behind legspin sensation Lloyd Pope last year.

Pope’s incumbency was cemented by an eight-wicket haul in the under-19 World Cup quarter-final win against England last January.

But Cricket Australia’s decision to allow Pope to sign with Big Bash side Sydney Sixers had ensured Freeman could add to his one previous one-day international against Afghanistan.

Freeman, at 17, had beaten Pope to debuting in the Sheffield Shield, the Mowbray junior the first player born in the 2000s to do so.

He earlier grabbed 1-44 and 2-53 in Australia’s opening two wins of the 50-over series before being left out of the dead-rubber third game.

Keegan Oates joined his Lindisfarne teammate as the only Tasmanians in the Australian touring party.

Oates had averaged 43.33 in the three one-dayers with a high score of 95, but made just 27 and five in the Test.