AUSTRALIA VS SRI LANKA – 2ND TEST – AUSTRALIA WRAP UP SERIEScricnewss
Mitchell Johnson was named Player of the Match for starring with both, bat and ball, scoring an unbeaten 92 and taking six scalps in the match. The Lankans were thoroughly outplayed during the contest and will anxiously wait to discover the extent of the injuries suffered by Kumar Sangakkara, Prasanna Jayawardene and Chanaka Welegedara.
The tourists’ indecisiveness was baffling after a resolute performance at Hobart, but one can take nothing away from the Aussie bowlers, who wrapped things up just under two sessions of the play on the third day.
The morning began with Mitchell Johnson (73) looking to complete his second Test century, in the partnership of Nathan Lyon. However, that task proved somewhat tough after Lyon and Jackson Bird were accounted by the Lankan pacers in the first half-an-hour, leaving Johnson stranded at 92 and Australia, with an imposing lead of 304.
Nonetheless, it did not deter the left-armer to give his all when he returned to the pitch to take the new ball. The rout started as early as the third ball after David Warner and Johnson combined to dismiss opener Dimuth Karaunaratne, who failed to get back in the crease following a suicidal attempt at a second-run.
Tillakaratne Dilshan departed the very next ball as he failed to fend of Johnson’s bouncer, with Ed Cowan doing the rest at short-leg. It was then Bird’s turn to impress with his nagging line and length, and the Tasmanian again left a significant mark by taking out Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera.
Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews added some sanity to the proceedings but tragedy soon struck after play resumed for the second session. On 27, the former failed to keep out a rising delivery from Johnson and upon examination, had to leave the field.
That instigated another collapse – Mathews dragging a pull shot onto his stump to hand Johnson his second victim, before Dhammika Prasad was holed out off Lyon. With Jayawardene and Welegedara not able to take the field, Peter Siddle wrapped things up by accounting for Shaminda Eranga as the Lankans were dismissed on 103 in 24.2 overs, further handing the series to the hosts.
