Australia dismiss Sri Lanka for 117 on rain-affected first day

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood

REUTERS: Australia’s bowlers ripped through Sri Lanka’s brittle batting order to dismiss the home side for 117 on an eventful first day of the opening test at Pallekele on Tuesday that also saw the visitors lose their openers for just seven runs.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon claimed three wickets apiece, while Mitchell Starc and Steve O’Keefe picked up two each as the hosts were shot out shortly after lunch.

Debutant all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva (24) was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who have lost their last two test series in New Zealand and England.

Australia’s innings also got off to a shaky start as they lost David Warner and Joe Burns inside the first four overs before captain Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja calmed things down with an unbroken third-wicket stand of 59 runs.

Smith, the world’s leading test batsman in the ICC rankings, was on 28 while Khawaja was on 25 at the tea interval with Australia rebuilding on 66-2.

Rain then washed away the entire final session of the opening day.

Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat on a dry pitch in the first match of the three-test series.

Any hopes Mathews had of enjoying a strong start were shattered, however, when Australia pace duo Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc took full control with the new ball to reduce the hosts to 18-3 inside 10 overs.

Left-armer Starc, making his comeback after a long injury layoff, sent back Dimuth Karunaratne, with the opening batsman failing to get the umpire’s leg before wicket verdict overturned on review.

The 25-year-old Hazlewood, bowling an impeccable line and length, then dismissed Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva and returned for another spell before lunch to lure Dinesh Chandimal into an edge behind to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill. Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe, who was included alongside Lyon, was brought on in the ninth over by Smith and got his reward when he dismissed Mathews.

Lyon found a lot of turn from the surface and picked up his three wickets from just seven deliveries after lunch as Sri Lanka’s batsman appeared keen to return to the pavilion as quickly as they departed it.

Rangana Herath became Starc’s second victim and Australia’s ninth after Smith successfully overturned the umpire’s ‘not out’ decision for leg before on review. O’Keefe finished off proceedings when he captured his second wicket of the innings with the removal of Nuwan Pradeep.

Injury-ravaged Sri Lanka, ranked seventh in the world, also handed a debut to left-arm slow bowler Lakshan Sandakan against the world’s top-ranked test side.

Jayawardene wades in on Murali fiasco

By Madushka Balasuriya

Mahela Jayawardene has become the latest voice defending Muttiah Muralitharan in his war of words with Sri Lanka Cricket, after the cricketing legend was accused of influencing pitch preparations ahead of Australia’s warm-up match last week at the P. Sara Oval.

The match saw Australian spinners Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon pick up 12 wickets between them on a pitch that showed considerable turn, this despite Sri Lanka Cricket’s preference that Australia would play on a track different in condition to the one being prepared for the first Test.

On the eve of the first Test, SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala said Team Manager Charith Senanayake had filed a complaint against Muralitharan for “berating” him after Muralitharan had confronted Senanayake in the belief that he had been at the source of the accusations, something Senanayake denies. Sumathipala added that they had filed a complaint with Cricket Australia over the incident as well, while also charging that Muralitharan had coerced the groundsmen at the Pallekele stadium to allow the Australians to practice on the centre wickets at the ground, even though this was strictly off limits to both teams.

“I don’t agree on this. Murali can’t make wickets. See his reply. Have an inquiry. Please don’t accuse innocent,” tweeted Jayawardene late Monday night in defence of his former teammate.

Jayawardene went on to allude to the possibility that the entire saga was a result of Sri Lanka Cricket’s unhappiness at Muralitharan taking up a coaching role with Australia prior to the start of the first Test.

“Was very disappointed to hear about SLC comments on Murali. I was in the same boat few months ago,” he tweeted.

“I can only say that people know the circumstance and situations. Murali doesn’t have to defend himself. #legend #humanitarian”