Player of the Match
Player of the Match

3.25pm Right then, that ends a terrific Test match to start this series. Been a pleasure from all of us here. Thanks for all your comments and time. Our coverage won't stop with this. For now, here's Brydon Coverdale's report on Test 1 of this series. Until next time, bye.

3.00pm Rangana Herath leads his team off the field. Splendid Test for Sri Lanka. They slumped to 117 in the first innings but have found a way to come back and beat the No. 1 Test nation in the world. The players shake hands as Sri Lanka take a 1-0 lead in this series. Steven Smith suffers his first loss as Australia's Test captain. Scenes of utter joy in Pallekele under cloudy skies. A staunch period of resistance from Nevill and O'Keefe but SL's spinners remained patient, bowled tight lines and finally found a way to bowl Australia out. Not many would have given SL a chance after they collapsed for 117 on the first day, but sublime performances from 21-year-old Kusal Mendis and 38-year-old Rangana Herath have given Sri Lanka the win they would have yearned for. Who deserves the Man of the Match more? I really don't know. Presentation soon.

Time for the presentation.

Kusal Mendis is the Man of the Match

Steven Smith: "Tough week, credit to SL the way they played this week. We let ourselves down with the bat, we weren't disciplined with the bat. Credit to Kusal, 176 turned the game. Tough to come back from there. (Would have been) nice to have a bigger lead than that. 20 on this wicket was always going to be tough. Wicket was pining quite a bit, tough to lose O'keefe but that's cricket. We have got to find our plans and find ways to play in these conditions. 1-0 down in a three-match series so have to turn it around quickly.

Angelo Mathews: "Don't have words to explain after a very hard few months. We regrouped, trained really well and prepared to the best. Brilliant effort by the whole team. Credit to Australians, they bowled really well. Not a good effort by our batters in the first innings. We needed that 200-plus lead. Special knock by a special young player. Fantastic effort. The old man Herath was brilliant once again. Sandakan a brilliant find for us. We knew this was going to take our turn, Sandakan responded brilliantly. I'm not trying to think about captaincy and the pressure too much."

Sid: "The injection of youth into this Sri Lankan side has made all the difference. They're still raw, but my word, this tiny island has no dearth of talent. Mendis played the innings of the year, in my opinion, and Sandakan and Dhananjaya showed flashes of brilliance, which augurs well for the future. Tremendous team effort. "

88.3
W
Herath to O'Keefe, OUT, that's it. SL win just their second Test against Australia. Herath gets five. SL are overjoyed but Herath puts his hands up in calm exhilaration. Pitches this on leg and the ball skids on with the arm, beats SOK's flick as he plays across and the ball clips leg stump. What a splendid fightback from Sri Lanka this has been.

SNJ O'Keefe b Herath 4 (105m 98b 1x4 0x6) SR: 4.08

88.2
0
Herath to O'Keefe, no run,
88.1
0
Herath to O'Keefe, no run, dropped. Very hard chance. Flat on off, the ball hits the pad first and then onto the bat or glove and the ball flies to silly point who has almost no chance, gets a hand on it

END OF OVER:
88 | (maiden) | AUS: 161/9

  • Josh Hazlewood0 (7b)
  • Steve O'Keefe4 (95b)
  • Dhananjaya de Silva11-7-12-1
  • Rangana Herath33-16-54-4
87.6
0
de Silva to Hazlewood, no run, angled wider and slower outside off, Hazlewood leaves
87.5
0
de Silva to Hazlewood, no run, flight outside off, blocked
87.4
0
de Silva to Hazlewood, no run, pushed to mid-on

Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2016 News

target the pads

15

LBW dismissals in this Test - the most in any Test in Sri Lanka. There are only four instances of more wickets falling to LBW decision in any Test.

Bring on Herath

6

No. of five-fors in the fourth innings of Tests by Rangana Herath. Only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne - 7 each - have taken more.

Pedestrian in 4th

17.00

Adam Voges' batting average in the fourth innings of Tests (4 inns) as opposed to his average of 103.46 in the other three innings of Tests.

Worst in a long time

1994

Last time an Australia opener made fewer runs from two innings in a Test than David Warner in this match. Mark Taylor had got a pair v Pak in Karachi

Lyon's feat

3

No. of off spinners from non-Asian teams to take 200 or more Test wickets, including Nathan Lyon. Lance Gibbs (309) and Graeme Swann (255) are the others.

Mendis emulates Sanga

1

No. of SL batsman before Kusal Mendis to make 150-plus in the second innings of Tests against Australia. Kumar Sangakkara had made 192 in Hobart in 2007.

Youngest

0

No. of SL batsmen who scored a Test century at a younger age than Kusal Mendis (21y 177d) against Aus. Prev youngest: Kaluwitharana (22y 267d).