Westerly winds blowing across Galle International Stadium have helped Australia fight back in the second Test against Sri Lanka in the southern coastal city.
At tea on day one, the hosts are 5-216 with skipper Angelo Mathews 49 not out and Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on nine.
With Australia struggling to make inroads in the second session and Sri Lanka scoring freely, fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were helped by handy 25km/h winds blowing off the ocean.
Skipper Steve Smith had talked in the build-up about interim bowling coach Allan Donald tutoring the quicks on how effective swing with the older ball was for South Africa in 2014 at the same venue when Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel took 16 wickets between them in a 153-run victory.
And it eventuated to assist Starc (3-44) get dangerman Kusal Mendis for a classy 86, caught behind by wicketkeeper Peter Nevill following a breezy 67-run partnership off just 85 balls with Mathews.
The dismissal brought up Starc’s 100th Test wicket, becoming the fourth Australian paceman to get to the milestone.
Coming in at 2-9, Sri Lanka’s first-Test hero Mendis continued his red-hot form following his match-turning 176 last week in the first Test.
He launched into some sweetly timed drives off the quick bowlers and also lifted offspinner Nathan Lyon for two sixes – one over mid-wicket and one over long-off – to show he wasn’t going to get bogged down.
Lyon grabbed the much-needed breakthrough with a big-turning offie to dismiss Kusal Perera, who edged to Smith at first slip for 49, to end a crucial 109-run partnership.
After losing the toss and being told by Mathews to bowl on a dry day-one wicket, the tourists were eager to move on swiftly from their 106-run loss in Kandy and made the best possible start.
Starc took a wicket with the first ball of the match, Dimuth Karunaratne chipping a ball off his pads to Joe Burns at square-leg.
Starc had another wicket in his third over when Kaushal Silva attempted a square drive but feathered a catch to Nevill.
Perera wasn’t as convincing but produced some strokes that gave credence to comparisons with Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya.
Lyon (1-62) was introduced after 45 minutes and was able to get a bit of drift and spin, while debutant Jon Holland also turned a few sharply in his 0-41 off nine overs.
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