In just one session between lunch and tea on day 2 of the second test match, Sri Lanka’s tormentor-in-chief Michael Hussey (76 not out) joined debutant Shaun Marsh (87 n.o.) to take the game away from Sri Lanka. Australia was 264 for 3 when bad light stopped play with 91.3 overs bowled in the Aussie first innings. They were 133 for 3 at lunch
The tiring Sri Lankan bowlers were no match to the patient but persistent Aussie pair. Sensing a real chance to seal a place in the team, Shaun Marsh, who can also open, patiently went about his job in the morning and negated the nip and movement. In the afternoon, he and Hussey scored at run-a-minute and kept the Sri Lankans at bay. The Aussies are now spoilt for choice in top order since Ricky Ponting will be back in time for the third test at Colombo. The axe could fall on either opener Phillip Hughes or middle-order bat Usman Khawaja to make way for Shaun Marsh.
Desperate Dilshan
Captain Dilshan was so desperate in the session after lunch that he turned to Sangakkara. It does not get any more bizarre than this: Kumar Sangakkara, wicket-keeper of the Sri Lankan squad till recently, took the second new ball for Sri Lanka on Friday afternoon, even as Sri Lanka struggled to get a wicket in the session.
Sangakkara’s act – who has bowled a total of 11 overs before this and has one first class wicket – will possibly make a good trivia question. Bowling gentle medium pacers, Sangakkara hardly troubled the batsmen in any case. Hussey had managed to get Sangakkara’s wicket yesterday. But the grudge overs did not work. Hussey went about his job. Thilan Samaraweera too came in and bowled an over. But again, Sri Lanka did not have much luck.
Sri Lanka raises hopes
Earlier, Sri Lanka came back a changed side this morning, bowled tight in a purposeful session, and saw Australia on the back foot for the first time in a session in this series - on day 2 of the second test here. Australia managed to add 73 runs to its overnight score of 60.
Australia lost three wickets in the session (133 for 3), two of them to Sri Lankan pacemen, who kept a nagging length and made the batsmen play at most deliveries. Though they could not get the same amount of movement as the Aussie pacers did, Suranga Lakmal and Chanaka Welegedara managed to contain the flow of runs and kept working hard – varying their pace, pitching it up and extracting some help from the pitch.
Lakmal was rewarded as Shane Watson (36) shouldered arms to a delivery that was pitched outside the off-stump and came back in to nip the off-stump – reminded one of the Copeland dismissal of Sri Lankan captain Dilshan yesterday – but this time the ball only came in a shade and Watson had no business leaving a ball so close to the wicket. That brought debutant Shaun Marsh in.
During his stay at the crease, Marsh defended as if his life depended on it. Or may be it was out of fear of being reprimanded by his dad and former Aussie opening bat Geoff Marsh – who was watching his son play from the stands. Marsh did not seem perturbed by the fact that runs were down to a trickle. Marsh Sr and Jr are only the second father-son duo to play for Australia.
But Marsh Sr., who was Alan Border’s vice captain for sometime, too had a forgettable debut – against India in 1995 at Adelaide. He made 5 and 2 (not out) in that drawn game. The left-handed Marsh Jr. flicked one past square-leg to ease past his dad’s debut score – and then went on to make his stay at the crease count.
At the other end Phillip Hughes too had downed shutters on the scoring. Finally, Hughes, who made 36 off 111 balls, perished at the hands of Tharanga Paranavitana at forward short-leg, who held on to a sharp bat-pad chance.
Captain Michael Clarke (13) came in and seemed like a man in a hurry. He chased a Welegedara delivery that was pitched on middle and off and moving away, into the hands of second slip.
The first test’s hero Michael Hussey had a reprieve when Prasanna Jayawardene could not collect the ball for a stumping after Hussey charged towards a ball and was stranded well outside the crease.
SCOREBOARD:
Sri Lanka (1st innings): 174 all out
Australia (1st innings): S.Watson b S.Lakmal 36, P.Hughes c T.Paranavitana b S.Randiv 36, S.Marsh (not out) 87, M.Clarke c M.Jayawardene b C.Welegedara 13, M.Hussey (not out) 76. Extras (lb-9, nb-7) 16. Total 264 for 3 in 91.3 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1- 60, 2- 95, 3- 116
Sri Lanka Bowling (1st innings): C.Welegedara 13-2-45-1, S.Lakmal 14.3-2-60-1, S.Prasanna 18-2-62-0, T.M.Dilshan 14-4-32-0, S.Randiv 29-6-39-1, Sangakkara 2-0-4-0, Samaraweera 1-0-3-0.
