Bruised Kaushal Silva takes Sri Lanka into winning position

Kaushal Silva battled through to his 3rd Test century, despite having received 6 stitches on his top hand and put Sri Lanka into a winning position on day four of the third and final Test against Australia at SSC grounds.

Silva played it late against the seamers, used the feet to take on the spinners as his magnificent 269-ball 115 anchored Sri Lanka to 312/8 at stumps and handed a healthy lead of 288 with the four-day old pitch spitting cobras.   

Earlier, Sri Lanka resumed day four on 22 for 1 with Dimuth Karunarathne trying to prove his worth, playing a few of his favourite leg-side shots to the fence early on before he was outwitted by Peter Nevill on 22. The big-turning Nathan Lyon off-spinner spun sharply and Karunarathne was completely beaten but he lifted his back-leg for a split second due to his ignorance and Nevill waited for that half-a-second to whip off the bails.

Photo Album – Sri Lanka vs Australia 3rd Test – Day 4

Kusal Perera came out to bat, played a few cracking sweep shots, both conventional and reverse to make a 25-ball 24 before one of his reverse-sweep attempts off Jon Holland to score through the off-side which only had 2 fielders failed to connect. The umpire signaled not out initially but the visitors went for the review and the replays showed a tiniest of deflections to overturn the on-field umpires’ decision.

Kusal Mendis used his feet against the Aussie spin dual, Lyon and Holland to smash 2 sixes and a four during his brief stay of 18 off 14 balls before he was trapped LBW by Mitchell Starc. In the post-lunch session, skipper Angelo Mathews and Silva added 58 valuable runs before the former top-edged a sweep off Nathan Lyon as the ball lobbed to first-slip after gracing the glove, ending his enterprising 26.

Silva was then partnered by his vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal as they continued to build the lead with a patient 90-run stand for the 6^th wicket. Silva went through his 90s with ease before steering it through the cover-region off Adam Voges for a four to bring up a well-deserved ton and cry out loud with pure emotion to celebrate his milestone.

Chandimal followed up his first innings’ century with another persevering 98-ball 43 before he was hit right in front of the wicket off Lyon from the round-the-wicket angle but was given not out and the Aussies opted for a review which ultimately made the umpire to overturn the decision after three ‘Reds’ appeared in the ball-tracker.

Silva was caught at slips off Holland with a lovely delivery which took the outside edge and Rangana Herath was dismissed in the same manner just before stumps by Lyon who ended with 4 for 123. Young Dhananjaya De Silva, brimming with confidence came out and provided the late impetus to the Sri Lankan innings with a carefree 56-ball 44 which included 7 elegant fours to remain unbeaten overnight with Suranga Lakmal.

On day five, Sri Lanka will look to pile on for another half-an-hour and bat out the Aussies completely from the game before letting their spinner run havoc on a wearing pitch.