They reminded everyone that, actually, these were quite good batting conditions.
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But coach Darren Lehmann has already flagged that frontline spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe will play. Voges and O’Keefe steered Australia to lunch without further damage, but Herath had succeeded in dragging Sri Lanka back into the contest. So there should be. Captain Steve Smith was batting on 28 and Usman Khawaja was on 25 after an unbroken 59-run stand.
“It certainly will help spin bowlers”, Smith added.
Sri Lanka have only ever won one Test against Australia in 26 encounters – that 1999 victory in Kandy infamous for the sickening collision between Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie in the outfield as they ran for a catch. The southerners may have been demolished in India in 2013, dismantled by Pakistan in 2014, and have dodged Bangladesh in 2015, but any tour of Sri Lanka has produced more heartening results. He was the next man to walk to the crease and, after offering some resistance, was also the next to walk off.
“The wicket will take spin for sure here”. The innings was not yet 15 overs old and already Sri Lanka’s debutant at No.6, de Silva, was on his way to the middle.
After the match in Pallekele, the second Test will be held in Galle from August 4-8 and the third will be in Colombo from August 13-17. It was the only glimmer in an otherwise gloomy morning for the hosts.
A total of 117 is going to be a tough ask to defend for any side in the world and the Sri Lankans may find themselves chasing big during their second innings. The off-spinner took two wickets in the first over after lunch to spark a collapse from 84-5 to 117 all out. Two balls later Dilruwan Perera was struck in front for a duck.
“They’ve lost a lot of runs in Mahela and Kumar, they were incredibly experienced players”, said Smith.
Australia’s rise up the rankings has been based in large part on the performance of their fast bowlers such as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and they rarely field more than one spinner.
Senanayake refused to comment but a source close to the team said the manager and Muralitharan had exchanged words on Saturday at Pallekele stadium, on the outskirts of Kandy, which is hosting the first Test.
Joe Burns made only three before being bowled by the veteran Rangana Herath, leaving Australia wobbling on seven for two. Steven Smith danced down the pitch and tried to launch Herath dowin the ground but was done in flight, leaving Chandimal a relatively straightforward stumping opportunity to end Smith’s innings on 30.
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They’re well prepared for rain in Pallekele, with massive blue covers not only taking care of the wicket square, but stretching across just about the entire outfield.
