Lunch Sri Lanka 87 for 1 vs Australia
After receiving a long guard of honour on his way to the crease, including from the Australians, Karunaratne combined well with Dinesh Chandimal in an unbroken 64-run stand as Sri Lanka reached lunch well placed at 87 for 1.
After Sri Lanka suffered their worst defeat in Test cricket on a slow surface, there had been much speculation that this new surface would produce significant bite and turn. There was occasional sharp turn, notably from Nathan Lyon, but Chandimal and Karunaratne were mostly unbothered. Lyon took Australia’s only wicket after dismissing Pathum Nissanka for 11.
Australia are effectively playing with just three specialist bowlers, but allrounder Beau Webster did bowl three overs of seam having not been required to bowl in the first Test.
Sri Lanka made three changes with Nissanka replacing Oshada Fernando at the top of the order, while offspinnser Ramesh Mendis and quick Lahiru Kumara were included at the expense of Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando.
Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva had no hesitation to bat when the coin fell in his favour amid stifling humidity.
After being feted on his way to the crease, Karunaratne was tasked with trying to help restore Sri Lanka’s battered confidence. He also had to confront tormentor Mitchell Starc having fallen to him nine times previously, including in the first innings of the series-opener.
But having overcome a groin injury to take his place, Nissanka mostly faced Starc and had mixed results. He stroked a beautiful boundary through the covers to open the scoring but was also beaten on several occasions by Starc, touching speeds of 145kph as he focused on pitching the ball up.
Fresh from his nine-wicket haul in his Test return, left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann was also handed the new ball but started with a full toss in an errant delivery that was a rare sight last week. He settled quickly and soon had a loud shout for lbw on Nissanka turned down with the decision upheld on umpire’s call after Australia reviewed.
Sri Lanka’s openers steadily built despite some nervous moments as stand-in skipper Steven Smith reverted to Lyon in the eighth over. Aiming at the footworks from Starc, Lyon produced significant turn and bounce on his second delivery that flew down the legside for four byes.
But Lyon wasn’t made to wait long for a wicket after hitting the top of leg stump when Nissanka moved too far across his stumps looking to paddle sweep. Australia were buoyed, but inroads proved difficult against the type of disciplined batting from Sri Lanka that was lacking in the first Test.
The batters were surrounded by fielders around the bat initially against Lyon, but got through the challenge. Chandimal was clearly Sri Lanka’s best batter in the first Test and continued his strong form.
He did have some luck when he brought up Sri Lanka’s fifty with a streaky boundary over point after skipping down the track to Kuhnemann. But he connected better shortly later with a dismissive blow over mid-off that sailed over the rope.
Chandimal hit an aerial stroke past cover to raise the half-century partnership as Sri Lanka enjoyed their best session so far in this series.
Connolly was given the ball just before lunch having never taken a wicket from the 96 balls he had bowled in his four previous first-class matches. Connolly did develop a knack of taking key wickets in the recent BBL season, but he could not strike against the determined Sri Lankan batters.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
