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Australia v Sri Lanka first Test live: tourists left with it all to do

Pat Cummins struck on the very last ball of the day, the tourists still in serious trouble after a positive day for Australia.

Andrew Faulkner and Adrian McMurray
6 min read
1:40PMJanuary 25, 2019.
Updated 9:58PMJanuary 25, 2019
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Pat Cummins celebrates after taking the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne late on day two. Picture: Getty Images
Pat Cummins celebrates after taking the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne late on day two. Picture: Getty Images

Sri Lanka are 1-17 at stumps on day two, Australia still very much in the box seat after earlier being bowled for 323. See how it all unfolded below.

Andrew Faulkner 9.40pm: Cummins strikes late … very late

Cummins has struck with the last ball of the day. The paceman’s done a Dennis Lillee to get Karunaratne (three) caught behind to have the tourists 1-17 at stumps. Cummins walks off with one over, one maiden, one for none.

Thirimanne (six) survives the awkward six-over session, although he was aided by some misdirected Australian bowling. Starc opened proceedings with a wayward first over, spearing a ball down leg that streaked away for four leg byes, then nearly bowling a wide on the off-side. In his next over he conceded four byes with another one way down the leg side. He was fast, but once again his radar was letting him down. Paine had seen enough — Lyon replaced Starc at the Stanley St End. The spinner found Thirimanne’s outside edge, but Khawaja wasn’t able to hold the half-chance at slip. Needless to say the tourists have it all ahead of them.

Andrew Faulkner 9.01pm: Australia all out for 323

The Sri Lankan openers are about to walk out for the most awkward of sessions after bowling the hosts out for 323. Richardson was the last man out, caught trying to hit Perera down the ground. Starc finished not out 26 from 25 balls — highlighted by a mighty six heaved 10 rows back over long-on, from Lakmal no less. The Australian first innings lead is 179.

Andrew Faulkner 8.48pm: Thirty’s the new 100

Thirty is the new 100 apparently (according to CA in any case) so Patterson has done well on debut to make exactly that. The tall left-hander has fallen lbw to Lakmal to give the Sri Lankan spearhead a well-deserved fifth wicket.

Patterson’s 30 came from 82 balls and included three fours. While he was there he treated the crowd to some fine stroke play. He peeled three fours from a Chameera over — a swivel pull and two slaps through the off-side — to rattle the lead past the 150 mark. Richardson has joined Starc and the latter’s decided to hit out …

Andrew Faulkner 8.20pm: Cummins falls for a duck

Cummins has fallen for a 21-ball duck as batting gets tricky under the Gabba lights. Cummins edged Chameera behind to leave Australia 8-278 with 45 minutes of scheduled play remaining.

Patterson (13 from 62) is creeping along in ones and the occasional two as the ball darts around in the Brisbane humidity. Starc is the new man, with only Richardson to come. And the Australian tailender slashes his first ball to the cover rope … so it appears the Australians won’t mind bowling a few overs tonight.

Andrew Faulkner 7.53pm: Lakmal tears through Aussies

And so the Australian 100 drought continues unabated. Head’s gone for 84 — from an unlucky 187th ball — and Paine’s followed for a first ball duck to put Lakmal on a hat-trick. After Labuschagne squandered his chance to notch Australia’s first ton of the summer, Head appeared so determined not to let a golden opportunity slip from his grasp. The newly-minted vice-captain edged past Labuschagne’s 81 to post a new highest Australian score for 2018/19. But he fell to a good ball from Lakmal that shaped back in, pitched in line and — as Head’s review showed — would have hit the top of middle. Then Paine was unfortunate to get a ripper first up. The skipper edged to second slip to bring Cummins out to face the hat-trick ball in the Gabba twilight. But the bowler was overcome by the moment — it was short, wide and left to pass to the keeper. Deep in the last session the hosts are 7-272, with Patterson on nine and Cummins yet to score.

7.46pm: Paine out for a duck, Lakmal on a hat-trick

7.42pm: Head gone for 84

Andrew Faulkner 6.23pm: Labuschagne falls short of a ton

Marnus Labuschagne has again fallen scooping an innocuous on-side catch. Labuschagne was caught at short-mid-wicket flicking at part-time spinner de Silva. Still, his 81 (150 balls, three fours) is the highest score by an Australian this summer.

Marnus Labuschagne looks dejected after being dismissed. Picture: Getty Images
Marnus Labuschagne looks dejected after being dismissed. Picture: Getty Images

He was dismissed in a similar way in Sydney and it was a disappointing end today; he and Head were doing as they pleased as the Sri Lankan attack turned to part-timers to try to stem the flow of runs.

The tourists took the new ball just before the dinner break so the ball will be hooping around in the last session. At dinner the score’s 5-249, with Head on 71 and Kurtis Patterson yet to score. The lead’s out to 105.

6.15pm: Labuschagne falls on 81

Andrew Faulkner 5.23pm: Twin fifties as hosts improve their lead

Labuschagne and Head have their 50s as Australia powers into a strong position halfway through day two at the Gabba. Labuschagne’s maiden 50 came from 97 balls and included three fours. Playing shots all around the wicket, the Queenslander is repaying the faith shown in him by coach Justin Langer.

Head’s been streaky at times — he was dropped by Dickwella when 29 — but has taken full toll of anything loose. His 50 came from 109 balls and included six fours. The pair’s added 118 to take the total to 4-200, a lead of 56 and counting.

4.56pm: Fifty for Labuschagne

Adrian McMurray 4.45pm: Head’s great relief

Head will have breathed a sigh of relief after being dropped on 29! Lovely ball from Lakmal the first over after Tea, there’s an edge but Dickwella can’t get a glove to it! He’s moved to 37, Labuschagne on 45, Australia looking the goods at 4-176.

Andrew Faulkner 4.05pm: Hosts lead by 15 runs at Tea

Labuschagne (36 from 80 balls, with two fours) and Head (29 from 60, four fours) have batted Australia into a powerful position at tea on day two at the Gabba. They’ve added 77 to take the total to 4-159, giving their side a 15-run lead.

Building from a firm base of a tight defence and judicious leaves, Labuschagne has blossomed to play an array of shots, with sweeps a feature. Head’s punctured the off-side ring with his usual forcing shots off front and back feet.

The early stutters are a distant memory as the hosts set about batting Sri Lanka out of the Test on a peach of a surface against a softening pink ball.

Andrew Faulkner 3.41pm: Head, Labuschagne steady the ship

Labuschagne (14 from 54 balls) and Head (19 from 41) have stabilised the innings to edge the Australians to within 15 of Sri Lanka’s target.

Twenty minutes before the tea break the hosts are 4-126, with both batsmen growing into their innings after some close early calls and plenty of hard grind.

Head has struck four fours in his 19, the best a crisp square drive that made it to the long boundary with ease. Labuschagne is starting to blossom after a watchful start.

Adrian McMurray 2.58pm: Head’s lucky escape

Phew! Head survives a very nervous moment, edging just over the slips. He collects four runs but isn’t happy at all! He’s up to eight, Labuschagne still on two. Australia 4-99.

Andrew Faulkner 2.52pm: Hard work in Brisbane

The Australian batsmen are making hard work of hauling in Sri Lanka’s first innings 144. Nightwatchman Lyon has been very well caught by Kusal Mendis at second slip to give Lakmal a second scalp. Mendis reached forward to pouch the catch just above grass level. Emboldened by the two early wickets, the tourists lifted, and not a single run came from the bat in 34 balls as Labuschagne and Travis Head dug in. Head at last broke the deadlock with a back-cut boundary to open his account. After 45 minutes play today, the score’s 4-95, with Labuschagne on two and Head on four.

2.21pm: Lyon gone

Andrew Faulkner 2.04pm: Harris falls first over

Harris has succumbed meekly in the first over of the day. After dispatching a Lahiru Kumara half-volley to the cover-point rope, he bunted the next ball — an innocuous, short and wide gift — to point to fall for 44 (88 balls, six fours). The third wicket fell on 76, bringing Marnus Labuschagne to the crease. Harris has once again failed to capitalise on a good start.

Andrew Faulkner 1.30pm: Rain unlikely to stop play

Like most corners of the continent, Brisbane could do with some rain, but the news isn’t good on that front. The forecast 4mm has been downgraded to 3mm and will likely ratchet down again going by a radar that shows nothing in the way of substantial rain.

Bad news for the farmers is good news for the cricket, as we look like getting an uninterrupted day’s play. It’s also bad news for Sri Lanka, given the tourists’ dire need for natural intervention to save the match. Marcus Harris (40) and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (0) will resume with the score 2-72, meaning the Australians are precisely halfway to the target of 144.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-v-sri-lanka-first-test-live-rain-unlikely-to-stop-play/news-story/56e6419db87ec03f0644f2195cc811fc