Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 1st Test: Sri Lanka vs Australia at Galle, Aug 31-Sep 4, 2011
Sri Lanka bowlers Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal took three wickets apiece to dismiss Australia for a modest 273 on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Wednesday.
Mike Hussey fought a lone battle for Australia with 95, unable to find partners for lengthy stands. He faced 177 balls and hit three sixes and seven boundaries at Galle International Stadium. On the brink of a 14th test hundred, Hussey was last man out, lbw to Tillakratne Dilshan on the off stump, and confirmed by video review.
The Sri Lanka batsmen walked out to the middle to face the 20 deliveries remaining for the day but the umpires called off play due to bad light.
Left-arm spinner Herath picked up the top-order wickets of Shane Watson (22), Ricky Ponting (44) and captain Michael Clarke (23) to finish with 3-54. Lakmal had 3-55.
Clarke won the toss and elected to bat first in a match delayed by one hour because of morning rain.
Michael Clarke's first act as Australia's full-time Test captain went to plan when he won the toss and chose to bat in the first Test in Galle. And in a major surprise, Sri Lanka left out their mystery spinner AjanthaMendis, who had troubled Australia in the one-day series, as they instead went in with just two spinners, RanganaHerath and SurajRandiv.
Fast bowler Trent Copeland and spinner Nathan Lyon will debut for Australia after
being named in the first test 11 against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday.
Trent Copeland captured six wickets in a three-day warm-up match in Colombo, while Lyon was preferred to fellow spinner and 12th man Michael Beer for a wicket expected to offer plenty of turn.
Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat first. Play was underway after being held up for an hour due to rain.
