Wed, 10 Aug 2011 - Sri Lanka vs Australia,Australia Tour of Sri Lanka 2011,1st ODI Match - Bulletin

Australia hammer SL in series opener

Australia bolstered by the return of their big guns convincingly defeating Sri Lanka in the first ODI by 7 wickets with Mitchell Johnson’s six wicket haul leading the way. The visitors chasing a paltry 191 made an easy meal of the target courtesy a solid batting display by the top order.

Riding on the fantastic Johnson spell, the Australian openers came out all guns; Watson in particular blasted the ball to all parts of the ground. Realizing that new ball was best time to score at Pallekele, the burly opener powered the chase early on. Even when his partner, Haddin was castled by Ajantha Mendis wrong-un for 12, the runs were coming thick and fast. Watson brought up his fifty with a swish over long-on off Mendis, in the next over (11th) two more hits sailed into the stands, but offie Suraj Randhiv had his revenge when Watson miscued one to Mahela at short-fine leg. The 69 run knock laced with 5 boundaries and half a dozen maximums set the chase on course.

At 81for 2, two of Australia’s most experienced batsmen- current skipper Michael Clarke and his predecessor Ricky Ponting set about the job steadily by milking the slow bowlers for singles and picking up the occasional boundary. The two, missing from the T20 squad, batted with minimum of fuss, there was hardly a rash shot played in the 101 run partnership. Ponting was the first to reach the half century mark but was dismissed shortly afterwards for 53, while as Clarke also finished on undefeated 53. In the end, it was a comfortable chase for the Aussies.

For Sri Lanka, 191 was never going top be enough given the pitch was good for batting. Even though they had gone in the match with a glut of spinning options, they just did not have enough runs on the board.

Earlier, Sri Lanka wasted a decent start to be dismissed for a below par score of 191. An aggressive 54 run stand between skipper Tillkaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga was undone by a mixture of some reckless batting and quality stuff from Australian bowlers led by Johnson. The left arm pacer, who has struggled with line and length of late, looked in a terrific rhythm right from the start getting the ball to move conventionally and reverse with a great control. His well disguised slower ones were hard to pick for the home team batsmen. Johnson first spell in which he got four wickets helped his side to reduce the home team to 117 for 7 from a comfortable position 79 for 2. Things would have been far worse had Suraj Randiv and Nuwan Kulasekera not fought with a crucial stand of 60 runs for the seventh wicket.

Tharanga, back in the team after serving a three month for an anti-doping violation, got his team to a brisk start creaming some terrific off-side boundaries with his skipper playing second fiddle. With runs coming freely off the new ball, Clarke employed left arm spinner Xavier Doherty and was rewarded with Tharanga’s wicket in his second over. The left hander went back to a quicker one from Doherty to see his off stump disturbed after having made 34 form 27 deliveries including seven fours.

Kumar Sangakkara and Dilshan took the score to 76 in 13th before part time off-spinner David Hussey removed Dilshan who hit one straight to mid-off for 29. Things went downhill from then on thanks to the Johnson show. His first spell started with a big wicket, Mahela Jayawerdena edging one to Brad Haddin behind the wickets. The ‘tattooed bowler’ dented Sri Lanka badly when he deceived Sangakkara with a well disguised slower one, forcing him to scoop one to short cover. In the meantime, Doug Bollinger removed young Dinesh Chandimal courtesy to a superb one handed diving catch by Clarke in the first slip.

It didn’t end there for the home team as Johnson yorked Jeevan Mendis and had all-rounder Angelo Mathews caught at mid-off, by then Australia were well and truly on top. Randiv and Kulasekera involved themselves in a recovery stand that was marked with some aggressive batting and proper application. Randiv hit four boundaries and a hit over cover fence in his 50-ball 41 before he became Johnson’s fifth wicket. The left arm pacer then had Ajantha Mendis’ stumps shattered to make six in the day. Brett Lee ended the innings by having Kulasekera caught in the deep by Mike Hussey for 34 hitting two fours and as many sixes in his fighting knock.