Herath spins Sri Lanka to stunning win over Australia

PALLEKELE: Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath backed up centurion Kusal Mendis’ superlative effort to stun top-ranked Australia by 106 runs in the rain-affected first Test in Pallekele on Saturday.

Herath, 38, grabbed 5-54 to help the hosts bundle out Australia for 161 on the fifth and final day after they were set a challenging 268 in the second innings at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Australian skipper Steven Smith posted a gritty half-century before Steve O’Keefe and Peter Nevill frustrated Sri Lanka with a 178-ball partnership.

Herath, appropriately, bagged the last Australian wicket to fall by cleaning up O’Keefe to trigger wild celebration in the Lankan camp.

This was Sri Lanka’s only second Test win against Australia in 27 matches.

It was batsman Mendis (176) who set up the unlikely win for Sri Lanka with his superb maiden ton in his team’s second innings after the hosts overcame an 86-run deficit.

The 21-year-old Mendis, the only centurion in a low-scoring contest, played a memorable 254-ball knock laced with 21 fours and a six to win the man-of-the-match award.

“Special knock by a special young player. Fantastic effort,” an elated Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews said at the post-match presentation.

For Lankan spinners it was a race against time as rain threatened to thwart their chances of upsetting firm favourites Australia but Herath had other ideas in mind.

The left-arm spinner, who grabbed four wickets in the first innings, made life miserable for the Australian batsmen on a turning track on the fifth morning.

Smith, whose 55 was the next best after Mendis’ century, was trapped LBW by Herath as Australia slipped to 141 for seven at lunch.

Debutant chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan, who bagged seven wickets in the match, provided the perfect foil to Herath’s experience.

“The old man Herath was brilliant once again. Sandakan is a brilliant find for us. We knew that the wicket was going to take turn and Sandakan responded brilliantly,” said Mathews.

Mathews also praised Herath and left-arm Chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan, who claimed seven wickets on a memorable Test debut.

“He [Sandakan] is a brilliant find for us,” Mathews said. “We looked at the wicket and knew it was going to turn. So we thought playing another spinner would be ideal and he responded brilliantly.”

O’Keefe, who was ruled out of the remainder of the series after injuring his hamstring on Thursday, surprised the opposition by turning up at the crease on Saturday.

O’Keefe and Nevill tried to delay the inevitable with nearly 30 overs of dogged resistance but could not deny Sri Lanka from completing one of their greatest Test victories.

Australia set a new record as the last 154 deliveries of their innings did not produce a single run as O’Keefe and Nevill also featured in the slowest partnership in Test cricket history among those that lasted at least 100 balls.

“Tough week, credit to Sri Lanka the way they played. We let ourselves down with the bat, we weren’t disciplined with the bat. Credit to Kusal, his 176 turned the game,” said Smith. “Anything above 260 on this wicket was always going to be difficult. It’s tough to lose O’Keefe but that’s cricket. We have got to find our plans and find ways to play in these conditions.

“Credit to Kusal, the way he played and scored 176 which certainly turned this game. It was tough to come back from there,” Smith added. “We were sure 268 on this wicket on day four and five was going to be difficult and it turned out to be that way.”

Herath ripped the heart out of Australia’s middle order with three telling strikes in the morning session.

The left-arm spinner sent back Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh before dealing the biggest blow when he trapped Smith lbw to end the Australian captain’s spirited resistance.

Smith hit just one boundary in his gritty innings.

O’Keefe and Nevill, aided by luck and Mathews’ struggle with reviews, blocked everything, frustrating the hosts in a partnership that lasted 29.4 overs and yielded only four runs.

Nevill faced 115 balls for his nine runs while O’Keefe scored four off 98 balls.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings) 117 (D.M. de Silva 24; N.M. Lyon 3-12, J.R. Hazlewood 3-21).

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 203 (A.C. Voges 47; H.M.R.K.B. Herath 4-49, P.A.D.R.L. Sandakan 4-58).

SRI LANKA (2nd Innings) 353 (B.K.G. Mendis 176, L.D. Chandimal 42; M.A. Starc 4-84).

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 83-3):

J.A. Burns b Sandakan 29

D.A. Warner b Herath 1 U.T. Khawaja lbw b D. Perera 18

S.P.D. Smith lbw b Herath 55

A.C. Voges c and b Herath 12

M.R. Marsh lbw b Herath 25

P.M. Nevill c Chandimal b de Silva 9