Australia have been here before. One day to play, one bowler short, and
an opposition whose top order has already been rattled. But Sri Lanka
will need even greater powers of concentration to match the remarkable
feats of Faf du Plessis and his South African colleagues, who secured a
draw in Adelaide last month by batting out the final day. As stumps
approached on the fourth evening in Hobart, the pitch was providing such
variable bounce that even two of the world's finest batsmen, Kumar
Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, could do little but chuckle with
resignation.
They will begin the final morning with Sri Lanka's total on 2 for 65 in a
chase of 393, with Sangakkara on 18 and Jayawardene on 5. The target
appeared extremely challenging when Sri Lanka began their innings -
their best chase to win a Test was 352 for 9 against South Africa in
Colombo in 2006 - and by stumps it looked nigh on impossible. But with
two such talented batsmen at the crease, the Sri Lankans will also know
that anything can happen, and Australia will need to find the remaining
eight wickets without the injured Ben Hilfenhaus in their attack.
The captain Michael Clarke also battled injury on the fourth day,
retiring hurt with a hamstring problem after scoring a brisk
half-century. He took his place in the field during Sri Lanka's chase
and directed proceedings from the slips cordon, but did wince on a
couple of occasions when forced to stretch his sore right hamstring. The
injury might place him in doubt for the Boxing Day Test, but Australia
will be more comfortable with that scenario if he delivers them a 1-0
lead on the final day in Hobart.
Things had started reasonably well as Shane Watson struck with his first
delivery, nipping the ball away from Tillakaratne Dilshan and finding
the outside edge through to Matthew Wade. Dilshan's opening partner
Dimuth Karunaratne looked reasonably solid until he was bowled for 30,
the victim of a Mitchell Starc yorker that sneaked under the bat.
Runs came slowly for Sangakkara and Jayawardene, whose primary goal was
survival, and when one ball from Watson skidded almost along the ground
to Sangakkara, the enormity of that task was apparent. The Australians
could have had Sangakkara on 3 when his thick edge off Nathan Lyon was
dropped by Clarke at slip, and they knew he was their primary obstacle,
the same man who scored 192 against them on the same ground five years
ago, also in the fourth innings of a Test.
On that occasion, Sri Lanka were chasing 507; this time the target was
sub-400, confirmed when Hilfenhaus was the last man out in Australia's
innings shortly before tea, handing Rangana Herath his fifth wicket for
the innings. Michael Hussey remained not out on 31 when Australia were
dismissed for 278, with Clarke not emerging from the dressing rooms to
bat again having earlier retired hurt on 57.
It was to Sri Lanka's credit that they fought back with the ball after
David Warner and Ed Cowan gave Australia a strong start with a 132-run
opening stand. Both men fell shortly before lunch and the Sri Lankans
were able to claim the rest of the wickets before tea. Watson (5) was
the victim of a sharp stumping by Prasanna Jayawardene off the bowling
of Herath, before Phillip Hughes was bowled by Shaminda Eranga for 16.
Matthew Wade, promoted to No.5 in an attempt to provide the Australians
with quick runs, was on 11 when he holed out to long-on from the bowling
of Herath and that brought together Clarke and Hussey, who so often
this summer have rescued the Australians. Again they proved a strong
combination and Clarke was in typically fine touch, moving the score
along at a rapid rate with boundaries all around the wicket.
But on 57 from 46 balls, an innings that included five fours and a six,
he left the field with the team physio Alex Kountouris, and did not
return. Another 40 runs came after Clarke's departure as Hussey did the
best he could with the tail-enders. Chanaka Welegedara finished with 3
for 89 and six wickets for the match when he had Peter Siddle caught
behind for 4 and Starc lbw to an inswinging yorker for 5, and Herath
cleaned up the rest. Nathan Lyon struck a couple of boundaries through
the leg side before he was bowled, yorked by Herath as he tried another
sweep, and the injury-affected Hilfenhaus was lbw for an eight-ball
duck.
Earlier, Warner and Cowan enjoyed their longest opening stand before
both fell after reaching half-centuries. They put on 132 together and
batted for 41.1 overs, the longest opening stand
by an Australian pair since the end of Simon Katich's Test career.
Warner had been watchful on the third afternoon but began to play a more
typical innings on the fourth day, culminating in a muscular switch-hit
for four off Herath.
Warner had also thumped Herath over long-on for six and brought up his
half-century with a powerful pull for four off the bowling of
Welegedara, from his 101st delivery, and he was clearly trying to lift
the tempo as lunch approached. However, on 68 Warner's innings came to
an end when he failed to pick a delivery from Herath that turned away
from him and the edge was snapped up by the wicketkeeper Prasanna
Jayawardene.
Cowan, who was characteristically calm and ticked the score along with
singles while waiting for the bad balls, brought up his fifty with a cut
for four off Welegedara from his 125th delivery. But it was Welegedara
who ended Cowan's stay with an excellent delivery that swung in and beat
the bat to have Cowan bowled for 55. And the way the pitch started
playing later in the day, the half-centuries to both of Australia's
openers had become increasingly valuable.
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