Signed, sealed only to be delivered
View(s):4 It was Dilruwan’s turn to hog the limelight
By Aubrey Kuruppu
Resurgent Sri Lanka thrashed the Aussies by a massive 229 runs at the Galle Stadium to win the three match series 2-0, with one still to go.
Aussies: Down and out
Dilruwan Perera was Sri Lanka’s hero, for a change. He made his off breaks spin, bite and turn on a slow turning track with low bounce. Herath was expected to be the wrecker but he took a back seat as the Aussies seemed to have worked counter to the left-armer.
Sri Lanka’s catching around the bat was good, and this heaped further pressure on the beleaguered Australians.
Warner was excellent in both innings but he only produced forties. Smith, Voges, Marsh and Nevill resisted for some time. But the writing was on the wall for the visitors from the time they collapsed like a house of cards on the second morning.
Frankly, the number one side disappointed. The batsmen were more at fault than the bowlers. Some of the techniques of the batters will have to be re-examined. The best side in the world should be able to do well against all countries, in all conditions. This was not the case in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka beat the Aussies in a series 1-0 under Sanath Jayasuriya in 1999. However, Angelo Mathews and his men now have the opportunity to make it a white-wash. Mind boggling and totally unexpected at the start of the series.
The Three Musketeers -- Perera, Mathews and Herath -- after the series win
Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews was elated after the historic win. When asked by the Sunday Times whether he felt before the series that Sri Lanka could win, the Lankan skipper Mathews responded “Yes, we thought we could win, but, not so easily”.
Warner and Smith played very positively at the start of the day. So much so that 31 runs came off the first four overs. Smith began with a tickled four, but Warner was away driving through extra cover for fours.
Dilruwan brought a halt to the threatening carnage by squeezing one through Warner’s front foot defence to have him leg before. The left hander’s knock was exhilarating as long as it lasted. But isn’t brevity the soul of wit?
Smith continued to play his best knock to date in Sri Lanka. The secret being that he played straight and cut out the frills. Voges had a referral going his way at five. Post Warner, there clearly was a shift in momentum.
Dilruwan Perera, the man-of-the-match - Pix by Amila Gamage
Australia’s last realistic hope was extinguished when Smith, down the pitch to Perera, was deemed to have gloved a catch to short leg. That made it 80 for 5, still 333 behind.Apart from turning it past the bat, Herath did not look particularly threatening. He was replaced after 65 minutes by Sandakan, who tended to bowl too flat and quick in his first over. A full toss provided easy pickings to Voges. But then he spun one through March’s bat and pad.
Voges and Marsh fought the good fight, playing some thrilling drives and sweeps. But the odds were fearful. Marsh twice swept Sandakan for boundaries, but seemed a little uncertain against the unorthodox spinner. It wasn’t exactly a surprise when he scalped Marsh shortly after. Marsh offered no shot tone that turned extraordinary and struck him on the back-foot. Marsh is one of the few Aussies to have emerged with some credit on the tour.
Voges, who had hitherto have played with an admirable mix of caution and aggression, perished ten minutes before lunch. Unwisely he reverse-swept Perera and had his stumps disturbed. This was four runs after the fall of Marsh’s wicket.
133-7 at lunch and with nothing to lose, Starc and Nevill played their shots. Perera was picked on by Starc who hoisted him for a gigantic six and four in the same over. Trying to hit Herath over mid wicket, Starc missed and was castled. Nevill was more orthodox, but was able to sweep a few boundaries.
The end came shortly after lunch despite some brief resistance from Nevill, who was run out smartly by Mendis at short leg.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings — 281 all out (73.1) (Mendis 86, Mathews 54; Starc 5-44)
Australia 1st innings — 106 all out (33.2) (Warner 42; Herath 4-35, Perera 4-29)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings — 237 all out (59.3) (Mathews 47, Perera 64; Starc 6-50)
Australia 2nd innings
(target: 413 runs; overnight 25/3)
D. Warner lbw b Perera 41
(Front-foot ball straightened up and
squeezed through)
S. Smith c Mendis b Perera 30
(Skipped down the pitch, pushed hard at ball, edged to leg slip)
A. Voges b Perera 28
(Essayed reverse sweep and missed ball on leg stump)
M. Marsh lbw B. Sandakan 18
(Padded up to delivery that
turned a lot – hit on the back leg)
P. Nevill run out 24
(Pushed to short leg, moved out
– good back hand flick)
M. Starc b Herath 26
(Tried one too many, swipes and missed)
J. Hazlewood c and b Perera 7
(Soft dismissal – tried to turn off break and lobbed back to bowler)
J. Holland not out 0
Extras: 7
Total (all out; 50.1 overs) 183
Fall: 3, 10, 10, 61, 80, 119, 123, 164, 181
Bowling: R. Herath 19.1-1-74-2; D. Perera 23-5-70-6; L. Sandaken 6-1-30-1; D. de Silva 2-0-2-0.