De Silva, Chandimal lead Sri Lanka's revival

Even as the temperature only kept soaring through the course of the post-lunch session on Saturday (August 13), the crowds kept pouring in to the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The spectators, who had been forced to go quiet after the first one and a half hours of play in the morning, became chirpier once Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva began a counter-attack and eventually dominated the Australian bowlers. In caps and under umbrellas they sought shelter from the harsh sun rays, and in Sri Lanka's fightback they seemed to have got their money's worth as the pair put up an unbeaten 115-run stand for the sixth wicket to take the hosts to 145 for 5 at tea on day one of the third and final Test.

Given Sri Lanka's precarious position at lunch, when they were tottering at 55 for 5, it was always going to be a question whether they would resort to a conservative approach in the innings or will the duo of Chandimal and de Silva - both naturally aggressive batsman - counter attack. After a couple of maiden overs to start the second session of play, Chandimal slashed at a delivery wide outside off angled away by Mitchell Starc. The ball got the outside edge and went through the vacant area between the second slip and gully for a boundary.

Chandimal unleashed a sweep off Nathan Lyon in the next over to bring up his second boundary and made his intent clear. It was a shot that had failed to bring him greater rewards in the first session when he failed to connect with the offspinner getting more bounce off the wicket.

De Silva, too, wasn't to be left far behind as he stroked Starc for three boundaries in the next over as Sri Lanka began their rebuilding on a positive note. From thereon, even as the batsmen settled into playing the ball on its merit, Australia couldn't find a way to breach their defence.

Steve Smith maintained an attacking field, with at least two fielders in catching positions, and shuffled his bowlers in short spells to counter the hot and humid conditions of Colombo. But there was little that his plans could do to trouble the sixth-wicket pair. It is the first session of the series in which a team hasn't lost a single wicket.

In the process, Australia also lost both their reviews. First up was a caught behind appeal that was declined by the on-field umpire. However, the visitors felt there was an edge off de Silva's bat as Jon Holland's delivery turned and went to the wicketkeeper. Unfortunately, the ball brushed nothing on its way and the decision was upheld.

De Silva was the man in question again when he was rapped on the pads by Mitchell Marsh. The umpire didn't flinch to a loud shout from the bowler and the fielders. Smith consulted the bowler and took a review. As replays suggested, the ball was missing the leg stump and the batsman survived.

It was the third review of the day that de Silva was involved in. But it came a couple of balls after he drove a length ball by Marsh over the extra cover fielder for a boundary to bring up his maiden Test fifty. He went into the break unbeaten at 74, with Chandimal (37 not out) for company.

Earlier in the day, Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka skipper, won the toss and elected to bat. The openers departed without much trouble yet again. Silva fell without troubling the scorers in his 15-ball uncomfortable stay at the crease by trying to drive a full delivery wide of the the offstump. He ended up getting an outside edge which flew to Smith at slips. With two left-handers at the crease, Lyon was introduced into the attack in the sixth over.

The offspinner managed to get turn and bounce from round the wicket to the left-handed duo of Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera. While the former hung on, playing with a straight bat, the latter managed to keep the scoreboard ticking with three boundaries, before ending up edging the ball to Smith at slips.
Karunaratne, who had managed only seven runs in his 34-ball stay, yet again became a victim to Starc - for the fifth time in the series. In the first over after drinks, the pacer angled the ball in from wide of the crease and the left-hander got a thick inside edge while looking to drive it. The stumps shattered as the hosts were reduced to 23 for 3.

The procession of wickets continued after the break. Mathews, who went for a sweep off Lyon, got a top edge and Starc took a superb forward diving catch running in from long leg. To make it three wickets in three overs, Starc got Kusal Mendis to edge a full delivery to Smith at second slip and got the scoreboard reading 26 for 5 with 40 minutes remaining for lunch.

Chandimal and de Silva steadied the innings, adding 29 runs for the sixth wicket in the first session. Having batted through second session, the partnership has extended to 115 runs.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 141 for 5 (Dhananjay de Silva 74*, Dinesh Chandimal 37*; Mitchell Starc 3-38, Nathan Lyon 2-47) vs Australia.