Sri Lanka v Australia - 3rd Test, Day 1

It ended a nice even day of Test cricket after strange beginnings which started at the toss.

Sri Lanka included Thirimanne to replace Samaraweera, Eranga to replace Prasanna and Herath returned to replace Randiv. Thirimanne has played only one previous Test, against England at Southampton when he replaced the injured Dilshan. He's a fair young cricketer who has the distinction of having a one syllable name amongst his collection of five: Don ... I wonder where that comes from? Dilshan announced at the toss that Thirimanne will open, allowing the skipper to drop down to 5. By comparison, the dropping of Randiv and playing only one spinner seemed just mildly strange, after Randiv was the best of their bowlers just a few days ago. Australia dropped the unlucky Usman Khawaja for Ponting and replaced the injured Ryan Harris with the work horse, Peter Siddle.

The last surprise at the toss was Dilshan's decision to bowl when Michael Clarke misread a tail. Sri Lankan commentators put an aggressive spin on it but this was pure defence in the face of strong Australian batting in the second Test that could afford to drop Khawaja. Still, with three quicks, they had to bowl on the first day.

Hughes bowled second ball

The start was late so I had a lovely walk in the sunshine listening to Cream and Bad Company and revelling in my age as one can when the iPod removes the shadow a disapproving world casts over you. I returned in time to see Phil Hughes support my argument for his removal, with that unconvincing laxity outside offstump giving the inside edge a go this time and his castle imploded from inside the moat. In walked the 2nd Test hero, positioning himself where Ricky Ponting once stood, Kipplingesk as the man who would be 3. With Ponting at 4, Clarke had delivered one of the surprises he had given warning of mid week. 

Watson's lazy square drive in the ninth over gave Shaminda Eranga a wicket on debut in the style of Lyon, first ball. Four weeks ago he took a wicket second ball on debut in the ODI at Hambantota. He's a talent but Watson's shot was poor.

It so easy, he can do it
with his eyes closed

Ponting looked smooth and untroubled despite rain stoppages which can break a lesser man's concentration. He drove well and had an instant running rapport with Marsh. It was a shock therefore, that after adding 79 in two hours with Marsh, he would slash at an ordinary ball from an otherwise accurate Lakmal and edge it behind. The skipper came and went after three quarters of an hour looking solid, bat and footwork in perfect positions behind the ball. His first loose ball was met with another lazy shot which found the edge for the same result as his former skipper. An old mate once said to me when I asked what I was doing wrong after a series of cheap dismissals despite looking like a batting millionaire ... "it's the last ball that's causing your trouble." Clarke might want to consider The Dozer's advice. He's a renaissance man, so he might understand it.

Sri Lanka had risen to the top of the cream through hard churning and not by being the only cat in the dairy. Hussey, in that tradesman-like way he does, set to with Marsh to rescue the position. They bat together like a meeting of like minds, sharing one opinion and whilst ever together, Sri Lanka knew their day was unfinished. When not splitting the field with laser guided 4's, Hussey could still thump Herath over wide mid on for a major and in between it all, he and Marsh pushed their ones and twos. Dilshan rang the changes, never tiring of the task as in previous Tests. As the batsmen applied pressure, he pushed back and none were better in the cause than Lakmal and Eranga. Their line was excellent and their persistence rewarded.

Marsh bowled by Herath for 81

It was Herath who broke through when he spun a ball through its usual arc and revolution to keep Marsh honest and instead saw the rookie play inside the line, fooled by his own misjudgement and not the bowler. At such times, when a batsmen has taken more than two hundred from your side in two innings, you take the gift, say thanks and set your claims in the acclamation of your team mates.

Michael Hussey

The new ball was taken and used briefly before the umpires called a halt because their numbers gadget said they should. Hussey looked grateful, struggling in the late afternoon as high humidity wrung the sweat from his body and forced him to admit his age, if only to himself. Haddin, in need of runs to avoid a terminal Paine, had one close call when he chose to cut a Dilshan offbreak which coveted his stumps but there were signs of his best too. Two straight lofted drives of Herath were good but a straight drive which breezed past the stumps off Welegedara with perfect timing and at rocket pace was more in the realms of great. It was a a Haddin special.

All square after day one. The new ball has hardly a dent and if Sri Lanka's quick men can bowl with the same penetration and break through twice in the first hour, Australia could be dismissed for under 300. This series is far from decided.