Live: Australia vs Sri Lanka First Test Day Two
Debutant Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins gave Australia its best start to a Test with the ball in almost two years and the hosts are halfway to eclipsing Sri Lanka’s first-innings score at the beginning of day two.
Australia’s bowlers rolled Sri Lanka for just 144 to start the Gabba pink-ball Test, the first time they’ve dismissed a team for less than 150 in their first innings since February, 2017.
But after losing their two most experienced batsmen in Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja while finishing 2/72, it will up to the fresh faces to build a big lead.
51 minutes ago
12pm
Hat-trick shows Khawaja is under the thumb
Finger fracture fears could not stop Sri Lankan off-spinner Dilruwan Perera keeping Australia’s Usman Khawaja under his thumb in the pink ball Test in Brisbane.
And teammate Dimuth Karunaratne has tipped Perera to leave the rest of the Australian batting line-up in a spin and spark a Sri Lankan fightback on a bouncy Gabba deck on Friday.
Strike weapon Perera looked like he had suffered a broken thumb on his bowling hand when he copped a nasty blow from Pat Cummins while batting on Thursday, forcing him to briefly retire hurt.
Khawaja probably wished Perera took no further part in the day-night Test after the Sri Lankan pulled off a remarkable recovery to maintain his hoodoo over the classy left-hander.
After Sri Lanka were bundled out for 144, Australia were 2-72 at stumps but not before Perera bowled Khawaja for 11 with the first ball he fired down at the batsman.
Remarkably, it sealed a personal hat-trick against Khawaja in Tests. Perera has now dismissed Khawaja three times in as many deliveries to the left-hander in Tests — all bowled. Overall he has figures of 4-17 in 44 Test balls bowled at Khawaja.
“It’s not with the big viper that he’s nicking to slip, it’s the one that goes straight on,” noted Kerry O’Keeffe, of where Khawaja was having trouble.
Seriously though.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) January 24, 2019
- Galle 2016: Perera bowls Khawaja defending.
- 2nd inns, same day: golden duck as Khawaja leaves.
- Brisbane 2019: Perera's first ball to Khawaja, tries to cut.
- All straight balls, around the wicket, missed.
Perera has a personal hat-trick against Khawaja.
Sri Lankan opener Karunaratne predicted Perera would also cause headaches for the rest of the Australian line-up on a bouncy Gabba deck and inspire a pink ball comeback.
“If he can get some early wickets (on Friday) we can be in the game,” he said. “We need to dry up the runs otherwise if they score freely it is really tough for us.”
Karunaratne said Perera had been encouraged by the bounce extracted by Australian offie Nathan Lyon (1-38) in Sri Lanka’s first dig. “I felt after the first couple of overs the spinner would come into the game,” he said. “Nathan got some bounce on this wicket, he bowled really well.”
Perera, 36, is Sri Lanka’s dangerman after taking 50 Test wickets at 29.32 in 2018 - one more scalp than Lyon (49 at 34.02).
— AAP
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