Aussies win Tests, but Murali came off with flying colours!
By A.C. De Silva
CRICKET: Australia's cricketers arrived in Sri Lanka in February
2004. The tour kicked off with five matches in one-day series that set
the tone for the tours that followed, with Australia's greater
self-difference between the two sides during crucial high-pressure
phases.
|
T.M. Dilshan scored a century in the first test and helped
Sri Lanka to make 381.
|
D. Lehman of Australia - scored 153 second century in the
series and put on 121 for the fourth wicket with skipper
Ricky Ponting in the third Test. |
Australia won 3-2 (one-day series) and worrying for the Aussies
appeared against Muralitharan, who they claimed they could read like a
book. However, Muralitharan was still handful in the three Tests,
picking up 28 wickets at 23.17, but he was forced to toil for 70 overs
per game and could not stop Australia's batsmen from piling up
match-winning totals. Muralitharan had 6 for 59 and 5 for 153 in the
first test at Galle, 4 for 48 and 5 for 173 in 2nd test at Kandy.
Sri Lanka fought hard and in each of the three games they had their
noses ahead at the midway stage, but were unable to ram home the
advantage of first innings leads, despite the somewhat deteriorating
nature of the pitches.
Sri Lanka fought hard and in each of the three tests they had their
noses ahead at the midway stage, but were unable to drive home the
advantage of first innings leads, despite the deteriorating nature of
the pitches.
Sri Lanka came very close to a memorable win in Kandy, as Sanath
Jayasuriya clicked into hurricane mood and hammered 131, but their nerve
vanished on the final morning and they collapsed dramatically. It summed
up the series, and when Australia won again in Colombo to seal a
whitewash - the first ever against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, it prompted a
serious but of soul-searching from within the team.
Ironically, the defeat proved a turning point as the bitter truth
sank in; they had been the masters of their own downfall. The defeat
also signalled the end of Tillekeratne's tenure as captain. SCORE BOARD
AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS
J.L. Langar c Sangakkara b Dharmasena 12
M.L. Hayden c Chandana b Muralitharan 41
R.T. Ponting (Capt) st. Sangakkara b Chandana 42
D.R. Martyn c Jayawardene b Dharmasena 42
D.S. Lehmann b Muralitharan 63
A. Symonds c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 00
A.C. Gilchrist c Dharmasena b Muralitharan 04
S.K. Warne c Sangakkara b Vaas 23
J.N. Gillespie not out 04
M.S. Kasprowicy b Muralitharan 01
S.C.G. Macgill lbw b Muralitharan 00
Extras: (b3, lb6) 09
Total: (67.4 overs) 220
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-62, 3-76, 4-148, 5-153
6-163, 7-215, 8-219, 9-220
Bowling: C. Vaas 12-2-39-1
K. Dharmasena 20-4-52-2
M. Muralitharan 21.3-5-56-6
U. Chandana 14-1-59-1
S. Jayasuriya 1-0-2-0
SRI LANKA - 1ST INNINGS
M.S. Atapattu b Gillespie 47
S.T. Jayasuriya lbw Warne 35
K. Sangakkara c and b Kashrowiez 22
M. Jayawardene c Hayden b Symonds 68
T.M. Dilshan c Langer b Kashrowiez 104
H.P. Tillakeratne (Capt) lbw b Warne 33
T. Samaraweera not out 36
U. Chandana c Gilchrist b Warne 27
C. Vaas c Hayden b Macgill 00
H. Dharmasena c Hayden b Warne 06
M. Muralitharan c and b Warne 00
EXTRAS (b-2, nb 1) 03
TOTAL (136.4 overs) 381
Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-92, 3-123, 4-198, 5-298
6-323, 7-369, 8-372, 9-381
Bowling: J. Gillespie 28-9-61-1
M. Kashrowiez 23-3-56-2
S. Warne 42.4-9-116-5
A. Symonds 19-3-68-1
S. Macgill 22-4-69-1
D. Lehmann 2-0-9-0
AUSTRALIA - 2ND INNINGS
J. Langer lbw b Jayasuriya 32
M. Hayden c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 130
R. Ponting run out 28
D.R. Martyn c sub b Muralitharan 110
D.S. Lehmann c and b Muralitharan 129
A. Symonds st. Sangakkara b Muralitharan 24
A.C. Gilchrist lbw b Chandana 00
S.K. Warne st. Sangakkara b Muralitharan 00
J.N. Gillespie not out 11
M.S. Kashrowiez not out 03
EXTRAS (b-15, lb 28, nb 2) 45
TOTAL (for 8 wkts dec 152 overs) 512
Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-175, 3-245, 4-451, 5-480
6-498, 7-498, 8-498
Bowling: C. Vaas 27-3-67-0
K. Dharmasena 24-1-100-0
M. Muralitharan 56-9-153-5
U. Chandana 24.3-2-102-1
S.T. Jayasooriya 14.3-2-38-1
T. Dilshan 6-3-9-0.
SRI LANKA - 2ND INNINGS
M.S. Atapatu c Hayden b Warne 16
S.T. Jayasuriya c Hayden b Macgill 05
K.S. Sangakkara lbw b Kashrowiez 07
M. Jayawardene c Hayden b Warne 21
T.M. Dilshan lbw b Warne 06
H.P. Tillekeratne c Symonds b Warne 25
T. Samaraweera b Macgill 15
U. Chandana c Langer b Macgill 43
C. Vaas not out 10
H. Dharmasena c Hayden b Warne 00
M. Muralitharan st. Gilchrist b Macgill 00
Extras: (b4, w1, nb1) 06
Total: (45.2 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-41, 3-49, 4-56, 5-56, 6-89
7-119, 8-153, 9-153
Bowling: J.N. Gillespie 9-2-20-0
M. Kasprowiez 5-1-13-1
S. Warne 15-5-43-5
S. Macgill 16.2-2-74-4 |
