Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford refused to be down-hearted about their loss to Australia in Hobart in the first Test, and instead took solace from the fact that they nearly pulled a draw out of the hat.
The visitors have never won a Test on Australian soil, and until the final session on day five, it looked like they’d be able to at least escape with a draw. But Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle ruined the party, taking six wickets after tea.
But Ford preferred to see the silver linings of time spend at the crease, saying on Tuesday: “If we just look at today, I’m unbelievably proud of the performance the boys put in. There’s quite a lot that gave me encouragement.
“A lot of our batsman spent some good time in the middle so they’ve got themselves going quite well. I’m hoping that as a group we’re all improving and finding our feet which is always difficult at the beginning of a tour.”
Ford wasn’t shy about saying he hoped Aussie skipper Michael Clarke would miss the next match with his hamstring injury, though he conceded that Australia’s depth of talent meant the replacement would hardly be a mug with the bat.
He continued: “We’ve got to stick together and prepare hard, whatever XI gets put out on the field against us is going to be a tough side and a tough challenge.
“There’s no doubt if Michael Clarke doesn’t play it would be a big boost for us. As a player he’s a huge factor and tactically he’s a huge factor.”
The second Test will be played at the MCG in Melbourne, staring on 26 December.
