1st Test: Sri Lanka v Australia - Day One

Australia have started their three Test series against Sri Lanka with one of those in between scores. Another 75 runs and they would have been competitive but 75 less and they would already be out of the game. On a day when left arm orthodox spinner Rangana Herath was turning them in the seventh over, six of the top seven made starts, with only Michael Hussey going on with the job. Yet, he too fell at the last hurdle just when debutante number 11 Nathan Lyon was looking up to the task of staying with him.

Nathan Lyon & Trent Copeland

Michael Clarke won the toss and batted after a rain delayed start, during which the entire playing surface was placed under cover by curator Warnaweera. Australia left Siddle and Marsh out of their starting XI, giving debuts to Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon. In keeping with Michael Clarke's direction in the Sydney Test, the newbies received their Baggy Greens from former Test greats: Copeland took his from this correspondent's favourite all time player, Doug Walters and Lyon received his from the selector on banana skins, Greg Chappell. Clarke is to be applauded for bringing back the Steve Waugh tradition of having past custodians saying a few words before handing over the most sought after prize in Australian's sport. The former skipper had done away with such niceties, preferring to hand the cap to the new kid on the block himself.

It was mild surprise - given the state of the wicket - that Ajantha Mendis was left out of the Sri Lankan team, given the screeds that have been written about the problems the Australians have had in picking him but in the end, it was the insurance that Angelo Mathews offered batting at seven which swayed their thinking. He may bowl in the match, but the less overs the better in the light of his rushed return from injury.

Watson pulls forcefully

The Australians got off to a flyer thanks to Shane Watson, who was particular harsh on the first two overs from the left arm opening bowler Welegedara, taking five 4's - four of them from his second over, including imperious off drives, a thundering pull and a glide with control down through the slips. Welegedara came back well with a good maiden for his third but was replaced anyway by the spin of Herath. So it was, that Herath's first ball bit, turned and fooled Watson with its length and found the edge and then Prasanna's gloves. It was as though Watson was making hay until Herath removed the sun.

Hughes was joined by Ponting who pushed his first ball confidently for one from middle and leg. At the other end, Hughes was that combination of ill at ease and then murderer of the over pitched that we have seen in too many of his Test innings. In the end, Lakmal made one jump from short of a length and found the shoulder of the bat and then on to slip - Hughes out again in the cordon. Michael Clarke joined Ponting and they offered two sides of coin in their approach to the situation. Ponting waited for balls to punish, launching some fine shots against all of the bowlers, whilst Clarke pushed into gaps for ones and twos before finding the confidence to leave his crease against Randiv as lunch approached and smack a four over the off side infield. At lunch and 2-76, it was even stevens.

Ricky Ponting

After lunch, Ponting was undone by a slower ball from Welegedara which he just managed to put over the infield for a boundary but it was Clarke who left first, lbw to an arm ball by Herath. Given not out by the umpire, Sri Lanka sent it upstairs for replays to show it would have hit middle about halfway up the timber. If umpires aren't going to give those on the field, what's the point of them being paid to stand there?

Enter Michael Hussey and first ball Herath turned one back into him which shaved the off stump and went for a rare bye whilst Hussey stood with his bat on his shoulder watching in an uncanny resemblance to the Ashes series in England in 2009. From such a shaky start a fine innings blossomed as he batted with the rest of the order. Ponting didn't last much longer after an absorbing battle with Herath; one in which both took points off each other but Herath had the final say, beating Ponting in flight and catching him short in his advance down the wicket and the intended lofted drive spooned to Mathews at mid off. What Ponting tried in this innings didn't quite come off but it was impressive none the less.

Haddin turns a ball straight
to the fieldsman

Usman Khawaja and Brad Haddin made handy stands with Hussey - 45 and 48 respectively - without taking the game away from Sri Lanka. Khawaja was bowled between bat and pad and Haddin out to a sharp catch at backward short leg, turned sharply by Randiv. Johnson and Harris both fell to Lakmal bowling with the last of the old ball; the former bottom edging a pull shot behind and the latter lbw not for the first time in Tests without playing a shot. Copeland struck three 4's, including a fine sweep off Randiv before going bat/pad to the same bowler.

Hussey sweeps for four

Hussey, on 75 when the ninth wicket fell, hurried things along with two sixes down the ground off Randiv, the first caught by Welegedara at long off only for him to step back onto the boundary. A four off Dilshan's offies came a few balls before the Sri Lankan skipper pushed an arm ball into Hussey's pads and trapped him lbw.

All out for 273 and likely not enough. None of the Sri Lankan's had outstanding figures but they bowled well as a team and took their chances. They will now bat with the pitch at its best for days two and three and with the perfect chance to set themselves up for a win. Now comes the hard toil for Clarke's bowlers and the first chance to see what his captaincy can create. Men like Taylor and Chappelli and Benaud relished such opportunities. Whilst the next few days are not the make or break of his captaincy, its still a good chance to see what he's got.