Aussies set to win and wrap up series 3-0 :

Lankans on the skids, facing humiliating defeat

Wade blasts a classic century:

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Australia

The Sri Lankan cricketers are on the verge of another humiliating defeat when the fourth day of the Final Test against Australia is called play today. Sri Lanka 2904 and 225 for 7 and Australia 432 for 9 declared. Unless the remaining three batsmen can contribute and set Australia something like 200 or 250 to chase for victory Sri Lanka is doomed.

That is a big ask because Dinesh Chandimal is the only recognized batsman remaining with Rangana Herath on 7 and Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal to follow.

Chandimal will be looking to play an innings like what Mathew Wade played and score a century with Herath, Pradeep and Lakmal keeping their ends up.

But that is wishful thinking and possible only if the glorious uncertainties play for the Lankans.

Mature innings

Only batsmen who earn mention are Dimuth Karunatatne who played a mature innings for 85 with 10 fours and Mahela Jayewardene who played a captain’s innings of 60 with 9 fours.

They showed fight and put on a stand of 108 for the second wicket. The least said about the other batsmen the better. They were just coming and going and not making any effort to put the Aussies under pressure and the team in a better position.

The sun was shining brightly for the third day running and spectators were flocking in most of them dressed in pink because it was pink day here at the cricket.

When the umpires called play, the stage was set for an absorbing day’s play. The Aussies had a lead of 48 with four wickets intact and Sri Lanka had to finish off the remaining batsmen without conceding too many runs.

Formidable lead

On the other hand the home team was looking to consolidate, get a formidable lead and put pressure on the Lankans, win the game and claim a series whitewash. Overnight not outs Mathew Wade 47 and Peter Siddle 16 had added 35 vital runs.

They continued to enjoy their batting with the Lankan bowlers failing to separate them till their stand was worth 77. With the score on 384 Nuwan Pradeep got one to move and Siddle touched it to wicket keeper Dinesh Chandimal who gloved the catch. 384 for 7.

Siddle made 35 with 7 fours. It was a partnership that added muscle to the Aussie batting.

Australia lost Mitchell Starc for 2 LBW to Herath at 387. And at 393 Nathan Lyon was bowled by Herath for 4. It was then that Wade on 70 began to light up the ground with his batting fireworks.

Audacious strokes

With last man Jackson Bird in, he began to hit out and in doing so played some audacious and powerful strokes that sped to the cover and mid off boundaries with great force.

It was not blind hitting. The hard hitting left hander pierced the deep field set by Jayewardene with controlled batting and shielding his partner Jackson Bird opened out to maul the Lankan attack that looked out of depth and lost.

Wade raced to 97 and with the spectators giving him a loud cheer he cut a ball from Pradeep to the point boundary to bring up the magical three figure. It was his second in Tests with this being the first one on home soil. He made his first hundred against the West Indies.

Wade celebrating

When the ball was skidding to the boundary, Wade was celebrating, punching the air and running towards the pavilion removing his helmet and doing the jig to thunderous applause from the spectators and his team mates.

Next ball Wade hooked Pradeep and Dhammika Prasad fielding at fine leg dropped a sitter and the end of the over, Clarke declared with the score on 432 for 9 with Wade unbeaten on 102 with 9 fours in 224 minutes.

The last wicket stand was worth 37 with Bird remaining unbeaten on 6. The Aussie lead was a strong 138. Rangana Herath who continues to bowl with success and whom the Aussie batsmen respect finished with 4 for 95.

Anxious minutes

The Lankan openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Tillekeratne Dilshan negotiated 18 anxious minutes and 4 overs and went to lunch on 18 without loss with Karunaratne 17 outscoring Dilshan who was on zero. After lunch Dilshan did not last long.

With the addition of six runs, he lunged forward got a nick and was taken low down by Phil Hughes in the slip for 5. It was a big wicket for the Aussies. Skipper Jayewardene was in early again and with the young and inexperienced Karunaratne began to steady the innings playing intelligently with a lot of composure not allowing the four Aussie pacemen to intimidate them.

What upset the Aussie strategy was that Karunaratne and Jayewardene did not get bogged down, but kept playing strokes not letting the bowlers settle into a line and length. That was admirable.

Attacking cricket

The pair took tea at 130 for on with Karunaratne on 83 and Jayewardene on 38. They played good attacking cricket ad took the fight to the Aussies and boundaries flowed from their bats.

To recap – The Sri Lankans will rue the non-referring of an LBW

decision against Michael Clarke off the bowling of Rangana Herath

before the Australian captain had scored. Also the Lankans should have had Mathew Wade early in his innings. But Lahiru Thirimanne could not get his hands under the ball. You can’t blame Thirimanne, considering that he was fielding in a life threatening position.

He took two hard knocks from Wade who swung, but did not seek the cool of the pavilion, but was cheered when he gallantly continued, which was an example to his team mates.

Media briefing

At the after the day’s play media briefing Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said that the team should have got 40 or 50 more runs and been a little more competitive and if one or two chance were taken or a couple of things went their way, they would have been in a better position.

From Australia’s point of view, the sad run out of the retiring

Michael Hussey was inexplicable. Probably playing his last innings he would loved to sign off with a hundred.

But for no obvious reason Clarke tapped a ball to short cover and set off for a run that was not there and not needed.

Hussey responded but could not beat Dimuth Karunaratne’s direct hit.

Hussey was going confidently when he was run out. The 26 thousand crowd stood up and gave him deafening applause when he walked out to bat and repeated it when he walked back and he acknowledged removing his helmet and holding aloft his bat. Sydney Cricket Ground, Saturday.

		SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA – 1ST INNINGS
294  - L. Thirimanne 91, M. Jayawardene 72; J. Bird 4-41)
  
AUSTRALIA – 1ST INNINGS
(overnight 342 for 6)
D. Warner c Prasad b Dilshan			85
E. Cowan run out (Pradeep)			04
P. Hughes c Chandimal b Herath			87
M. Clarke c Karunaratne b Herath		50
M. Hussey run out (Karunaratne)			25
M. Wade not out				       102
M. Johnson c Chandimal b Pradeep		13
P. Siddle c Chandimal b Pradeep			38
M. Starc lbw b Herath				02
N. Lyon b Herath				04
J. Bird not out					06
Extras (lb6, w7, nb3)				16
Total (9 wkts declared; 107 overs)	       432

Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Cowan), 2-166 (Warner), 3-195 (Hughes)
		 4-251 (Hussey), 5-271 (Clarke), 6-307 (Johnson)
		 7-384 (Siddle), 8-387 (Starc), 9-393 (Lyon)
Bowling: Lakmal 24-4-95-0
	 Pradeep 20-1-114-2 (3nb, 5w)
	 Prasad 11-0-53-0 (2w)
	 Mathews 2-0-11-0
	 Dilshan 19-2-58-1
	 Herath 31-3-95-4
 
SRI LANKA – 2ND INNINGS
D. Karunaratne c Wade b Bird			85
T. Dilshan c Hughes b Johnson			05
M. Jayawardene c Clarke b Siddle		60
L. Thirimanne c Bird b Johnson			07
T. Samaraweera c Hussey b Lyon			00
A. Mathews run out (Warner)			16
D. Chandimal not out				22
D. Prasad c Wade b Starc			15
R. Herath not out				09
Extras (b1 lb2 nb3)				06
Total (7 wkts; 62 overs)		       225

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Dilshan), 2-132 (Karunaratne), 3-155 (Thirimanne)
		 4-158 (Samaraweera), 5-178 (Mathews), 6-178 (Jayawardene)
		 7-202 (Prasad)
Bowling: Starc 10-0-48-1
	 Bird 15-2-51-1 (3nb)
	 Johnson 9-3-19-2
	 Siddle 14-3-35-1
	 Lyon 13-1-63-1
	 Hussey 1-0-6-0

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Tony Hill (NZL)
TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG) 
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)