Sri Lanka set to spin out Australia on day five

Sri Lanka will go into the fifth and final day of the 1st Test as favourites to clinch a win against the world no.1 Test team, Australia after a shortened day four swung the pendulum towards the hosts.

Only 40.4 overs were possible on a rather disappointing penultimate day of the first Test during which 7 wickets were taken for 154 runs.  

After Kusal Mendis almost single-handedly turned the game on its head on Day 3, Sri Lanka now require 7 more wickets to the win the game tomorrow while the visitors need another 185 runs.  

After being set a victory target of 268, Australia lost opening batsman David Warner in the 8th ball of their chase when he played down the wrong line and got himself cleaned up by a regulation Rangana Herath delivery.

Photos | Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st Test Match – Day 4

One-drop batsman Usman Khawaja collected two boundaries off Nuwan Pradeep and one off Herath but played the worst shot of the day to Dilruwan Perera when he attempted to slog-sweep but missed the ball and was struck plumb in front.

Opener Joe Burns played quite positively during his 57-ball 29. He used his feet well to counter the spin and accumulate runs before he was flustered by a rank-turner by Lakshan Sandakan which spun nearly from the wide-crease to deviate off his bat onto the stumps.

Adam Voges was given out LBW off Perera on the first ball he faced but the replays suggested that it would miss the stumps by a large margin and the umpire’s decision was overturned. He and skipper Steve Smith resisted the Lankan spinners until the umpires suspended play at around 3.00pm and eventually called off the day’s proceedings.

With the pitch deteriorating, indiscernible Sandakan, dangerous Herath and controlled Perera will be tough to keep out as Australia have successfully chased down 250+ only once in the past decade (310/8 against South Africa in Johannesburg, 2010).

Earlier in the day, play commenced after a 70-minute delay due to rain with the Australians taking the second new-ball. Kusal Mendis resumed from his excellent 169 and added only seven runs before he edged Mitchell Starc behind in the 3rd over of the day. His 254-ball 176 with a strike-rate of almost 70 is the highest ever Test score at Pallekelle.

Herath was also given out LBW on 11 but he successfully overturned the decision as he partnered up with Perera to add 24 valuable runs for the 8th wicket. Only 7.3 overs were possible during the first session as rain forced an early lunch. Soon after the break, Josh Hazelwood struck on the first ball when he trapped Perera right in front of the stumps.

A few overs later, Lakshan Sandakan was dismissed by Starc when the ball hit his body, spooned up and dislodged the bails.

Herath and Pradeep provided some entertainment and valuable runs to the home team as they took Sri Lanka to a commendable lead. Herath clobbered 6 fours which included conventional sweeps, pulls and reverse-sweeps during his 34-ball 35 before substitute fielder, Moises Henriques held on to a one-handed stunner at extra-cover off Hazelwood to end the Lankan innings.