Karunaratne, Thirimanne survive as Sri Lanka face monumental task to save the game

471

Sri Lanka finished day 3 of the 2nd Test against Australia at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on 17/0, still 499 runs behind after being set a target of 516 to win.

The day began with the good news that Dimuth Karunaratne would be able to bat again for Sri Lanka and the Lankan overnight pair of Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya De Silva started well, surviving nearly an hour of play on day 3. However, Perera was hit flush on the helmet in the 53rd over, by a delivery from Jhye Richardson. The Aussies had been bowling some quick, short stuff at the Lankans and this time, Perera ducked right into the ball as it cannoned into his helmet. He seemed okay to carry on but looked very ill in the next over, forcing yet another ‘retired hurt’ in the innings.

Perera to undergo mandatory concussion test

Kusal Perera, Sri Lanka’s No. 5 batsman, was hit on the side of the head by a bouncer…

He was replaced by Karunaratne at the crease and the left hander, who had retired hurt last evening on 46, quickly went to his 22nd Test half century with a lovely square drive to the boundary. Both he and De Silva looked comfortable in the middle but Starc wasn’t done with them yet. The big quick, who was hitting the 147-149kmph mark regularly, got De Silva pulling a ball that got big on him. The right-hander missed the ball, but the swing of his bat carried it towards the stumps, dislodging one bail.

>>Photos : Sri Lanka Vs Australia 2nd Test – Day 3

Similar to yesterday, the injury to a settled batsman worked in favor of Australia as Starc then had Karunaratne driving on the up to offer a simple catch to gully. Chamika Karunaratne didn’t last long either, bat-padding a catch to Starc at leg slip off Lyon.

Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruwan Perera played some shots but the former was caught lbw in the last over before lunch by Marnus Labuschagne; a contentious decision as Ultra-edge and Hot spot seemed to indicate that the ball may have brushed the glove before hitting his pad.

Sri Lanka returned after the break looking to cut off as much of the deficit as they could, but Starc had Dilruwan Perera with his first ball after lunch and then brought one in from around the wicket to rattle Vishwa Fernando’s timber as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 215.

Kusal Perera did not come out to bat in the 1st innings and with Australia not deciding to enforce the follow on, despite leading by 319, he did not take the field either – sitting out the rest of the day.

2nd test Day 2 Report: Karunaratne stretchered off – Sri Lanka lose 3 in a hurry

The Sri Lankan bowlers started well once again, reducing Australia to 37/3, but could not make any further inroads as Usman Khawaja, who had been struggling for form all summer made a century, putting on 159 for the 4th wicket alongside Travis Head.

Kasun Rajitha picked up Marcus Harris and Marnus Labuschagne while Fernando took care of 1st innings centurion Burns.

Australia declared their innings with just over half an hour left in the day’s play, hoping for a few late wickets, but Sri Lankan openers Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne survived the hosts’ onslaught until bad light brought an end to the day’s play.









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Full Scorecard

Australia

534/5 & 196/3

(47 overs)

Result

Sri Lanka

215/10 & 149/10

(51 overs)

AUS won by 366 runs

Australia’s 1st Innings

Batting R B
Marcus Harris c C Karunarathne b V Fernando 11 18
Joe Burns b K Rajitha 180 260
Usman Khawaja c K Mendis b V Fernando 0 3
Marnus Labuschagne c N Dickwella b C Karunarathne 6 11
Travis Head lbw by V Fernando 161 204
Kurtis Patterson not out 114 192
Tim Paine not out 45 114
Extras
17 (lb 3, nb 10, w 4)
Total
534/5 (132 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-11 (MS Harris, 3.6 ov), 2-15 (UT Khawaja, 5.3 ov), 3-28 (M Labuschagne, 8.4 ov), 4-336 (TM Head, 72.6 ov), 5-404 (J Burns, 92.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Kasun Rajitha 28 5 103 1 3.68
Vishwa Fernando 30 3 126 3 4.20
Chamika Karunarathne 22 0 130 1 5.91
Dilruwan Perera 32 4 112 0 3.50
Dhananjaya de Silva 20 2 60 0 3.00

Sri Lanka’s 1st Innings

Batting R B
Dimuth Karunarathne c K Patterson b M Starc 59 95
Lahiru Thirimanne c U Khawaja b N Lyon 41 105
Dinesh Chandimal c T Paine b M Starc 15 28
Kusal Mendis b P Cummins 6 4
Kusal Janith not out 29 57
Dhananjaya de Silva b M Starc 25 63
Niroshan Dickwella lbw by M Labuschagne 25 22
Chamika Karunarathne c M Starc b N Lyon 0 5
Dilruwan Perera c T Paine b M Starc 10 25
Kasun Rajitha not out 0 5
Vishwa Fernando b M Starc 0 2
Extras
5 (b 1, lb 4)
Total
215/10 (68.3 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-90 (HDRL Thirimanne, 31.6 ov), 2-101 (BKG Mendis, 34.1 ov), 3-120 (LD Chandimal, 40.3 ov), 3-157* (MDKJ Perera, retired not out ), 4-180 (DM de Silva, 58.2 ov), 5-181 (FDM Karunaratne, 58.5 ov), 6-182 (C Karunaratne, 59.5 ov), 7-215 (N Dickwella, 67.1 ov), 8-215 (MDK Perera, 68.1 ov), 9-215 (MVT Fernando, 68.3 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Mitchell Starc 13.3 2 54 5 4.06
Jhye Richardson 15 4 49 0 3.27
Pat Cummins 14 3 32 1 2.29
Nathan Lyon 24 6 70 2 2.92
Marnus Labuschagne 2 1 5 1 2.50

Australia’s 2nd Innings

Batting R B
Marcus Harris c K Mendis b K Rajitha 14 13
Joe Burns c K Mendis b V Fernando 9 21
Usman Khawaja not out 101 136
Marnus Labuschagne c N Dickwella b K Rajitha 4 23
Travis Head not out 59 93
Extras
9 (nb 6, w 3)
Total
196/3 (47 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-16 (MS Harris, 3.4 ov), 2-25 (JA Burns, 6.5 ov), 3-37 (M Labuschagne, 14.4 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Vishwa Fernando 10.4 1 43 1 4.13
Kasun Rajitha 13 2 64 2 4.92
Dilruwan Perera 15 3 52 0 3.47
Chamika Karunarathne 4 1 18 0 4.50
Dhananjaya de Silva 4 0 19 0 4.75

Sri Lanka’s 2nd Innings

Batting R B
Dimuth Karunarathne b M Starc 8 21
Lahiru Thirimanne c & b P Cummins 30 81
Dinesh Chandimal c M Labuschagne b M Starc 4 9
Niroshan Dickwella b M Starc 27 42
Kusal Mendis c K Patterson b M Labuschagne 42 69
Kusal Janith c T Paine b M Starc 0 1
Dhananjaya de Silva c T Head b J Richardson 6 13
Chamika Karunarathne c T Paine b P Cummins 22 38
Dilruwan Perera c T Paine b P Cummins 4 9
Kasun Rajitha not out 0 0
Vishwa Fernando not out 0 0
Extras
4 (b 1, lb 1, w 2)
Total
149/10 (51 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-18 (D Karunarathne, 8.1 ov), 2-28 (D Chandimal, 12.6 ov), 3-58 (L Thirimanne, 22.4 ov), 4-83 (N Dickwella, 28.2 ov), 5-83 (K Janith, 28.3 ov), 6-97 (D De Silva, 31.6 ov), 7-143 (K Mendis, 44.6 ov), 8-143 (C Karunarathne, 45.4 ov), 9-148 (D Perera, 49.1 ov), 10-149 (V Fernando, 50.6 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Mitchell Starc 18 2 46 5 2.56
Jhye Richardson 9 1 29 1 3.22
Nathan Lyon 13 1 51 0 3.92
Pat Cummins 8 2 15 3 1.88
Marnus Labuschagne 3 1 6 1 2.00