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Day 1: Sri Lanka Spin Advantage

Tuesday, March 9 2004

Muttiah Muralidaran has ensured Ricky Ponting's first day as Australian Test captain finished as a difficult one, snaring 6 wickets as Australia collapsed against a barrage of spin.

Yet the most surprising aspect of Day 1 would prove to be the Australian selectors, however, who excluded Simon Katich in one of the most difficult decisions in recent years.

Andrew Symonds was afforded a Test debut, Shane Warne returned from a year-long absence, Michael Kasprowicz was offered a chance by Brett Lee's untimely injury as Darren Lehmann returned from an injury of his own.

Sri Lanka, as expected, named 3 spinners in Murali, Upul Chandana and Kumara Dharmasena, who would later take the new ball. Chaminda Vaas represented the sides lone seam option.

As Justin Langer played out an early maiden from the premier over, Matthew Hayden began in his typically well-paced manner.

Langer's innings failed to quite materialize. Looking nervous on the sweep and generally unsure against the off-spin of Dharmasena, he fell to a long-hop outside off stump to which he found an under edge - and Kumar Sangakkara's gloves.

Following Langer's dismissal Hayden and debut captain Ponting steered Australia to 50 as the left-handed Queenslander began to strike ominous form.

Yet once his top-edged sweep was well gathered by a jumping Upul Chandana from Muralidaran the innings began to take a downward spiral. His 41 was scored at the brisk pace of 46 balls.

Chandana has long been an underrated cricketer unfairly branded as a 'bits-and-pieces' ODI specialist. A sharp turning leg break drew Ponting out of his crease while bouncing viciously into the raised hands of Sangakkara to complete the stumping.

A responsible partnership between Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann steered Australia to the relative safety of 109/3 at lunch. Surprisingly, Sri Lankan captain Hashan Tillakaratne elected to begin after lunch with Chandana and Dharmasena instead of strike weapon Muralidaran.

The gamble payed dividends as Martyn's pre-mediated sweep fell into the hands of Mahela Jayawardene at leg slip. Martyn's dismissal did little to justify his selection ahead of Katich, or enhance his reputation as a player of spin.

The wizardry of Murali soon graced the attack once more - and following a familiar pattern to his previous 9 Tests at Galle, where he had snared his wickets at 14.

He soon dismissed Symonds for a duck with a dubious catch at first slip - replays suggest Symonds may not have edged the ball onto his pad, highlighted by Rudi Koertzen's hesitant raising of the finger.

Adam Gilchrist's poor record on the sub continent amplified into Murali's 3rd wicket of the day before Lehmann and Shane Warne comfortably waited till tea.

Lehmann's dismissal after tea saw the end of genuine resistance, with the left hander bowled following a composed 63. From his early 6 to Murali, he looked the dominant batsman in the Australian line-up, playing with surety despite offering a difficult chance to silly point shortly after lunch.

Vaas claimed the token seam innings of the wicket as Warne edged to Sangakkara, before Murali snared the final 2 wickets of the innings to finish with 6 and stand equal with Warne on 491 Test wickets.

Muralidaran finished the innings with figures of 6/59 in a commanding display of unorthodox off-break bowling. Despite his penchant for over-bowling his variation deliveries his off-break was still as damaging as ever as Australia's top 5 failed to turn promising starts into big hundreds.

Dharmasena was impressive with his 2/52 while Vass and Chandana snared a wicket each, with comparatively little bowling between them.

Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz failed to find significant assistance on a dead wicket as Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya reaching a 50 stand in quick time.

Andy Symonds' first day in Test cricket proved less than memorable, bowling 3 overs of non-threatening off-breaks for 20 runs as the season pair handled him with ease.

Yet Ponting found solace in his most experienced customer - the returning Warne. Receiving a strong ovation from a typically cheerful crowd, his first few overs proved tidy if not threatening, before a straight ball trapped Jayasuriya in front when on 35.

Warne's wicket was his first in Test cricket since December 2002 as he again crept ahead of Murali in the race for 500.

Sri Lanka's commanding display on Day 1 was highlighted by a final-over 6 from Kumar Sangakkara, with Atapattu watching from the other end as Stuart MacGill's 8th ball cleared the long on fence with interest.

Progress Score : Stumps Day 1

Australia 220 (D Lehmann 63, D Martyn 42, M Hayden 41; M Muralidaran 6/59)

Sri Lanka 1/81 (S Jayasuriya 35, M Atapattu 29*; S Warne 1/18)

Posted by Andre