Herath spins Sri Lanka back into the contest

  Rangana Herath was always going to be key to Sri Lanka’s hopes in this series, and it took only until the second morning for him to send some jitters through the Australian order. Herath picked up three of the four wickets that fell during the extended morning session, though he could not prevent Australia from moving into a slender lead, following Sri Lanka’s first-innings 117.

At lunch, the Australians were 146 for 6, with an advantage of 29 runs, and their desire for a heftier lead hinged largely on Adam Voges, who was well settled on 41, alongside Steve O’Keefe, who was unbeaten on 3. Having resumed at 66 for 2, Australia had added 80 runs by lunch, but the wickets picked up by Herath and debutant Lakshan Sandakan made this a much closer contest than it could otherwise have been.

Herath struck in the second over of the morning, and again in the fourth, removing both of Australia’s established batsmen within the first 20 balls of the day. Steven Smith danced down the pitch and tried to launch Herath down the ground, but was done in by the flight, leaving Dinesh Chandimal with a relatively straightforward stumping opportunity to end Smith’s innings on 30.

Voges avoided a golden duck next ball when a big lbw shout was turned down; Sri Lanka reviewed, but the ball was only clipping leg stump in the “umpire’s call” range. In his next over, though, Herath adjusted his pace and flight once again, a quicker ball from around the wicket getting through Usman Khawaja, who was trapped dead in front for 26. Khawaja knew a review would be futile.

Herath maintained pressure throughout most of the session, bowling in three spells with only short breaks separating them. Sandakan also chipped in with his first Test wicket, that of Mitchell Marsh, who had struck five boundaries on his way to 31 when he failed to pick Sandakan’s wrong’un and was bowled to leave Australia at 130 for 5.

That became 137 for 6 when Peter Nevill uncharacteristically lost his head and tried to clear the infield off Herath, succeeding only in lofting a catch to mid-on. Voges and O’Keefe steered Australia to lunch without further damage, but the threat posed by Sri Lanka - and especially by Herath - still loomed large.

-ESPN