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Sri Lanka staring at defeat

Aussies enforce follow-on after taking a 340-run lead

Sri Lanka 80 for two in its second innings
Lee operates with control, movement and pace

Brisbane: Australia moved closer to victory in the first Test at the Gabba on Saturday. The host, which enforced the follow-on after grabbing a 340-run first innings lead, had Sri Lanka struggling at 80 for two at stumps on day three.

Michael Vandort (15) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (8) were at the crease. The side has a mountain to climb.

Jayawardene’s men still trail by 260 runs on a surface which is offering increasing turn to leg-spinner Stuart MacGill. Sri Lanka was dismissed for 211 in its first innings.

Gamble

This was a day when Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting was willing to gamble. Asking Sri Lanka to bat again represented a risk since Muttiah Muralitharan could be a considerable threat on a wearing surface if the visitor secured a lead of around 150 runs. Ponting backed his bowlers.

His decision to toss the ball to pace spearhead Brett Lee in the evening was a brave one since the light was fading rapidly. The ploy worked.

Jayasuriya, stroking and jabbing the ball into the empty spaces with his strong wrists, had raced to 39. He was looking good for more.

Intelligently, Lee went round the wicket to the left-hander. Done in by the change of angle, Jayasuriya edged the paceman to a diving Ponting at second slip. The Aussies celebrated.

Ponting was on the ball too earlier in the innings, introducing Andrew Symonds when the opening partnership between Marvan Atapattu and Jayasuriya was gaining momentum.

Symonds, in his pace bowling mode, snared Atapattu with a short pitched ball that kissed the gloves for wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist to hold a smart catch down the leg-side. This was a telling strike.

Battling knock

Atapattu, in his comeback Test, had made a battling 51 (183b, 5x4) in the first innings. Between long periods of defence against a rampant bunch of Aussie pacemen, he produced a few typically elegant drives.

It was debutant left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson who ended Atapattu’s determined vigil; the opener miscued a pull. Earlier, Johnson had picked up his first Test scalp, angling the delivery across the right-handed Thilan Samaraweera to find the edge.

Lee operated with control, movement and pace to scalp four batsmen in the first innings. The spearhead was supported well by Johnson and Stuart Clark.

Johnson’s pace, natural left-armer’s angle and change of speed kept the pressure on the batsmen. Clark removed Mahela Jayawardene with a peach of an away going delivery in the morning and bowled with much skill and precision. Gilchrist was alert, pouching four catches.

There were, however, periods of defiance by the Sri Lankan batsmen. Silva’s chancy but enterprising 45-ball 40 kept the scorers busy till Clark ended the Lankan’s stay.

Wicket-keeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardene (37) and all-rounder Ferveez Maharoof (21) showed some pluck before the Aussie bowlers found the right answers.

Leg-spinner MacGill, who castled Chaminda Vaas, is one short of 200 Test wickets.

SCOREBOARD

Australia — 1st innings: 551 for four decl.

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: M. Atapattu c Jaques b Johnson 51, S. Jayasuriya c Gilchrist b Lee 7, M. Vandort c Gilchrist b Lee 0, M. Jayawardene c Gilchrist b Clark 14, T. Samaraweera c Gilchrist b Johnson 13, C. Silva c Clarke b Clark 40, P. Jayawardene lbw b Lee 37, F. Maharoof b Symonds 21, C. Vaas b MacGill 8, D. Fernando c Johnson b Lee 7, M. Muralitharan (not out) 6; Extras (lb-1, nb-6) 7. Total (in 81.5 overs) 211.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-11, 3-45, 4-65, 5-119, 6-153, 7-181, 8-198, 9-198.

Australia bowling: Lee 17.5-9-26-4, Johnson 18-2-49-2, MacGill 25-5-79-1, Clark 16-4-46-2, Symonds 5-3-10-1.

Sri Lanka — 2nd innings: S. Jayasuriya c Ponting b Lee 39, M. Atapattu c Gilchrist b Symonds 16, M. Vandort (batting) 15, M. Jayawardene (batting) 8; Extras (lb-2) 2. Total (for two wkts. in 22 overs) 80.

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-65.

Australia bowling: Lee 6-2-26-1, Johnson 6-0-22-0, Clark 5-1-17-0, Symonds 1-1-0-1, MacGill 4-0-13-0.

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