Australia may have lost the first Test in Sri Lanka yesterday but they should be buoyed by the admirable grit they showed as they scrapped to avoid defeat.
In a low-scoring Test which saw only two batsmen reach 50, Kusal Mendis’ maiden Test ton of 176 won the match for the hosts. But they were not able to simply roll over Australia, who yesterday displayed the kind of patience and circumspection with the blade which all too often has been missing from their play in tough circumstances.
Steve Smith, Adam Voges and Mitch Marsh all worked hard for their runs before being undone by the relentless accuracy of veteran spinner Rangana Herath, who was outstanding. None of that trio gave away their wickets lightly.
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Then wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and hobbled tail ender Steve O’Keefe produced one of the all-time great stonewalling efforts.
Nevill and O’Keefe’s enthralling blockathon was reminiscent of the never-say-die partnership by South Africa’s Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers in India last year.
As I wrote of that stand at the time, “No sport does boring as well as Test cricket. In what other game can hour after hour of utter boredom erupt in the space of a single delivery, with a draw or a victory leaving previously reserved players and fans in a state of rapture?”
So it was yesterday as the Sri Lanka players and supporters celebrated with unbridled joy when finally they broke the stoic union of Nevill and O’Keefe. Incredibly, that pair managed to survive for 178 balls in the face of fine bowling and a ring of close-in fielders.
In the process, they broke the Test record for the slowest-scoring partnership of more than 100 deliveries. That title had been owned by Amla and de Villiers, who went at just 0.64 runs per over during their 253-ball stand.
The Australian pair smashed that record, scoring at just 0.13 runs per over. They went the final 138 balls of their partnership without scoring a run. Rarely in cricketing history has a four-run stand been so impressive.
Numerous times in recent years, Australia have found themselves in positions like yesterday, where they needed to value their wickets like gold dust. Often they have collapsed in a heap, shown up either for poor defensive techniques or questionable temperaments, or both.
While it is cold comfort amid the stinging pain of a comprehensive defeat, Australia should take heart and take heed of the application their batsmen showed yesterday. Batting likely will not be easy in the next Test at Galle, which tends to favour spinners more than Kandy.
In each of the last five Tests at Galle, spin has dominated. In the last Test played there, Herath took ten wickets against the West Indies. The match before that, 31 of 40 wickets fell to spin as Indian offie Ravi Ashwin snared a ten-wicket haul and Herth grabbed seven in the second dig.
In each of the previous two Tests a spinner took nine wickets, while in the one before that, Sri Lankan finger spinner Dilruwan Perera pocketed eight scalps.
Of great concern for the Australians is the fact that Galle is the most successful venue for Herath, who took 9-103 at Kandy. He has an incredible record at Galle, having taken eight five-wicket hauls at that ground, amid a total of 78 wickets at 24 from 14 Tests.
This week at Galle Sri Lanka are certain to again field three frontline spinners. At Kandy, Sri Lanka’s spinners bowled 85 per cent of their overs, with lone fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep delivering just six of the 88 overs in the second dig.
Australia, too, will be relying heavily on spin at Galle. Nathan Lyon, who took 5-120 at Kandy, is expected to be partnered by debutant Jon Holland. The left arm tweaker has been flown to Sri Lanka to replace O’Keefe, who has injured his right hamstring.
O’Keefe will be a big loss for Australia, having bowled beautifully at Kandy in addition to his batting efforts. They will need a lift from first-choice spinner Lyon, who ran amok in the first innings but could not maintain pressure on the Sri Lankans in their second dig. While Lyon has improved significantly as a bowler over the past two years, he still has a point to prove in Asia.
With O’Keefe out, there will be a heavier burden on Lyon. How he shoulders that in the next two Tests will determine whether Australia can fight their way back into this series.
Colin N
Guest
Key word being 'series,' one which England won 3-2.
Jacko
Guest
Maybe you should be. Do you know how to play spin?
Jacko
Guest
Only half? Surely you jest
Jacko
Guest
And if you want to read a decent cricket article dont read a RONAN the EXPERT article
Jake
Guest
Sure about that Colin? Australia inflicted the 4th heaviest defeat england have suffered at lords just last year.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
What are you talking about? It's 'weird' for a poster to decry an article. You claim not to read mainstream - are you sure you've read anything here either?? And as for the 50 word 'article' you recommend, I'm sure I've posted much more than that in a single response many times when warranted. But you wouldn't know that it seems.
Nudge
Guest
Funny how Peter gets so upset with Ronan's "predictions" and "arrogance" yet himself comes up with a prediction that for next years ashes in Australia," I'll bet anyone on here that England will retain the ashes no problem! Any takers? Score prediction for the ashes, England win by 3 tests to 1" Yet last time they were here they came over as unbackable favourites and lost 5-0 with half the team giving up mid your. Lets also not forget that in the past 30 years England have one 3 live tests in Australia. And he gets so upset when Ronan makes predictions. Hilarious
DingoGray
Roar Guru
So I keep hearing Mitch Marsh has to play in our Test XI to provide us balance. He's important so we can take 2 spinners in? Yet he bowls what 11 overs for the Test match? Seriously time for us to pick a genuine batsmen at 6!
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
So write a 50 word article. If it's good enough, it's long enough. It just sounds weird to moan about the state of the articles on a fan site, where you can post your own. Fair enough in the main-stream media, I barely read most of that shite.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Ah, this tired argument. Because I live here mate. Because this media is my media. Because channels 9, 10 and Fox Sports pundits and commentators are also mine to enjoy. Because I also don't only chose to digest opinions I share. Because I can express an opinion, argument and view point just as validly in 50 words as 500. That OK with you?
Tim
Guest
SOK is a very able batsman and Nevil is one of my favs as both a very accimplished player and thinker of the game But, how they played just goes against the Aussie way
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
"Ronan’s pretty much as one eyed as they come on this site." Why read his articles then? Perhaps you could write some yourself if you wanted to redress some perceived lack of balance. They accept fan articles on this site.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
A tad though it's what I thought. To give SOK his due, he sure can hang around while not getting bored by not scoring. He did it in the Shield final a while back v WA, the ratbag.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Let me assure you that I'm not a player on tour with the Aussie team nor am I connected with them in any way
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
If you want to see an article congratulating the Sri Lankan team, you are free to write one
Colin N
Guest
"A weaker Lankan team than this beat the poms at home only a couple of years ago." That Sri Lanka team contained Sangakkara and Jayawardene, unlike this one. "Everyone does that though don’t they?" Well, it's rather an indictment on Aussie cricket that considering all the teams who are apparently winning series' on English soil, the only nation not to do it in recent times is Australia.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Get over yourself. Not only has this bloke just written some howlers coming into this test, he just spent countless paragraphs praising two Australian batsman for doing absolutely nothing! Ronan's pretty much as one eyed as they come on this site. Like too many Australian commentators it's just not a commentary - it's cheer leading. Which explains a small but prolific minority of fans on here who really have some pretty strange perceptions.
Giovanni Torre
Guest
Jeez there's a bit of snark in the comments here. I guess there are a lot of people out there who've never tipped a match or series incorrectly. They must make a packet from the TAB. There's nothing laughable or off the mark in this piece. Get a grip. The author praises Herath's outstanding bowling - indeed, the fine bowling from SL in general. Maybe SL fans wanted some praise of Mendis - but the focus of this piece is on Australia's prospects in the second test. It's a preview, not a review.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
Adam Zampa would had been a better choice for 2nd.Test at Galle, now without him Steven Smith has to do a lots of round-arm action to avoid Kandy-like situation.
Broken=hearted Toy
Guest
Why would it make anybody look stupid other than Ronan? Considering that he can write reasonably researched and thought-out articles, I'd say at least half his articles are written to get hits for the site. Job done.