While they may be the world champions, Steve Smith’s men know they must improve their record in Asian conditions before they can truly be a feared unit.
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“They don’t give an opportunity to talented Sri Lankan coaches and prefer to bring white people from overseas”. We would like to put the runs on the board. Two overs prior to lunch, Chandimal edged a Hazlewood delivery to the keeper, ending his 81-minute stay at the crease. Smith confirmed that vice-captain David Warner will play after being sidelined for six weeks with a broken left index finger.
Hazlewood: Perhaps it is his SCG upbringing, perhaps his commendable straightness when in good rhythm, or perhaps his height, but Hazlewood was, by a distance, the most impressive Australian bowler on the day. It would have been notable because he began the day on 195 career wickets.
The first day was dominated by bowlers as 12 wickets fell in total.
Steve O’Keefe celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews.
All this was after the seam bowlers had made the early breach. The Sri Lankan opted to appeal the decision but umpire Richard Kettleborough’s decision was upheld when replays showed the ball would have crashed into leg stump.
Hazlewood did the same to Kusal Mendis in the sixth.
Hazlewood ploughed on, a model of economy and of pressure built through frustration.
Voges had his heart in his mouth when he survived a lbw review first ball but patiently chipped away to top-score with 47. Movement through the air, a regulation edge, and Peter Nevill may be the most regulation wicketkeeper who ever lived. “This series going to be a hard one for us, we haven’t played as well as we would have liked to in the sub-continent”.
All this after Mathews won the toss and chose to bat.
Team selection: It had always seemed likely that Australia would plump for twin spin in this series, but given how rarely such a team has been selected in the recent past – just three times have they used a full-time spin tandem since the last visit to Sri Lanka in 2011 – there may have been temptation to divert from that path. Certainly, Pallekele was always going to be the strip offering most assistance to the faster men, as it momentarily did five years ago for Ryan Harris and Trent Copeland. “Anything you can get on the opposition is crucial”. “It was just inconsistent, and that did the damage. A couple did shoot through for a day one wicket, so that will be interesting the longer the game goes”.
On that basis, even a score of 200 first up might have proved challenging for the Australians to respond to.
Veteran left-arm spinner Herath shared the new ball with Pradeep and bowled Burns with a straight delivery on the last ball of his second over.
Australia 1st innings: J Burns b Herath 3, D Warner b Pradeep 0, U Khawaja not out 25, S Smith not out 28.
With those two to resume tomorrow, followed by slow-pitch specialist Voges, a healthy lead is in the offing.
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Dangerman Herath: “They (Sri Lanka) have some quality spinners in their rank led by Rangana Herath”.
