By Srian Obeyesekere
Sri Lanka recovered to 229 for 9 wickets on the opening day of the second and final test match against a volatile Australian pace attack led by Mitchell Starc 3 wickets and spin duo of Nathan Lyon 3 and Matthew Kuhnemann 2 largely due to two crucial innings first upfront by No. 3 Dinesh Chandimal, who put on 70 runs for the second wicket together with Dimuth Karunaratne who made 36 in his hundredth farewell appearance, followed by Kusal Mendis’ manning the lower order No 7 position with a defining unbeaten 59 in pulling the side out of the doldrums when they had derailed to 5 for 127 in adding a face saving 65 for the seventh wicket together with the recalled Ramesh . Mendis who made 28 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
On what looked like a promising swan song take off for to the 36-year old Karunaratne when the back from injury Pathum Nissanka despatched Starc for a boundary in the first over after the hosts had batted first after winning the toss as the score moved to 23 with Karunaratne on the other end seeming to working himself to his old rhythm, the pattern soon changed when Lyon entered the fray bowling Nissanka with a turning delivery for 11. Chandimal kept swishing at the Aussie attack going ahead of his partner into the mid 30’s as Sri Lanka went lunch without further loss, But when it looked like Karunaratne was getting into his former touch Lyon struck again bowling the left hander with a wicked good length delivery that beat him all ends up clean bowling him for 36 off 83 balls hitting hit 3. -boundaries.
It brought Dinesh Chandimal to the fore as he took charge in moving the scoreboard unafraid to using his feet against the spinners in smashing Matthew Kuhnemann for a six with Karunaratne holding one end with Sri Lanka on. 93 after 32.2 overs. In his swan song Karunaratne had been a game trier on a solemn morning and grant it Lyon who completely pole axed.
Calamity set in as Sri Lanka slumped to 5 for 127 into the 47th over with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva gone for a first ball duck to Starc offering a catch to Webster following Angelo Mathews who was Lyon’s third victim caught by stumper Alex Carey for 1 having fended eleven deliveries while Kamindu Mendis fell for 13 with Travis Head having him caught by Stevie Smith.
Chandimal fell for another valiant knock of 74 off 163 balls when Matthew Kuhnemann foxed him to stepping up to a delivery that caught. him on the crease to be stumps by Careyy. He struck 6 boundaries and a six – 6/150 after 60.2 overs.
The exit of Chandimal who had strung together 23 with Kusal Mendis, did see the next phase of the Lankan recovery from dumps as he found fine support from the recalled Ramesh Mendis who made a plucky 28 off 94 with 2 boundaries, and following the new ball decimation when Starc accounted for Ramesh, as well as Prabath Jayasuriya for a duck while Matthew Kuhnemann removed Nishan Peiris also for a duck. Kusal Mendis remained unbeaten on a fighting 59 from 107 balls having hit 6 boundaries and a six.
CHIEF SCORES
Sri Lanka 229/9 (90 Overs)
(Dinesh Chandimal 74, Kusal Mendis n.o. 59, Dimuth Karunaratne 36, Ramesh Mendis 28, Pathum Nissanka 11, Mitchell Starc 3/37, Nathan Lyon 3/78, Matthew Kuhnemann 2/58, Travis Head 1/31)
