Off to the Gabba, where Australia and Sri Lanka would begin their fight for the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Since the Test was taking place in Brisbane, one could only assume this was the first Test of the summer. Weird to be taking place in late January, but there you are.
Here are the ratings for the First Test between Australia and Sri Lanka.
The Gabba
Grade: C
Before the Test began, all the talk was about the pitch in Brisbane. More specifically, people were discussing whether the high note hit by the singer at the end of the Australian national anthem was really necessary, or was it just showing off?
Almost certainly the latter.
But when it came to the physical pitch upon which the players would contest the Test match, nobody was too stressed about it. It’s the Gabba. The Gabbatoir. The Gabbandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here.
It’s the cricket ground where Australia never loses. An impregnable fortress.
Given that, full credit to Cricket Australia for maximising the chances of maintaining its record of indomitability by scheduling Sri Lanka to play there rather than India.
Going forward, I’d definitely like to see the Gabba only host Tests where Australia are ranked multiple places above the opposition in the official ICC rankings. Sure, we may have to get a few more Associate Members playing Test cricket to make this work. But that’s not such a bad thing either.
Jhye Richardson
Grade: B+
Australia had a couple of debutants for the Test. With Sri Lanka winning the toss and batting, the first to make an impact was Jhye Richardson, taking the new ball.
Richardson had Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal caught at slip by Jhoe Burns and immediately jhumped for jhoy.
(AAP Image/Darren England)
For the first time in two summers, somebody not from New South Wales had taken a Test wicket for Australia in Australia.
As immensely embarrassing for New South Wales cricket as this was, it was excellent news for Richardson. He took two further wickets to finish with 3/26, and was immediately promoted to the position of vice-captain.
Not batting at eleven
Grade: C+
Sri Lanka were dismissed for 144 in a little over two sessions, cunningly avoiding batting under lights. Instead, Australia were forced to navigate the first evening session of the Test.
Excellent news for vice-captain Nathan Lyon, who, despite his batting feats from earlier in the summer, had been relegated to number eleven in the batting lineup.
However, when vice-captain Usman Khawaja was bowled by Dilruwan Perera for the third time in the last three deliveries he’d faced from him – a niche hat trick if ever there’s been one – Lyon came striding out as the night watchman.
Pretty impressive how effortlessly Lyon evaded batting at eleven. What a master he is. The GOAT takes many forms.
Marnus Labuschagne
Grade: B-
When Lyon and vice-captain Marcus Harris were dismissed early on the second day, however, Australia were suddenly 4/82. They were still 62 behind Sri Lanka and in the familiar position of being in batting trouble.
Enter vice captains Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, who proceeded to put on 166 for the fifth wicket to take the game away from Sri Lanka.
It was disappointing stuff from Labuschagne, who during the winter tour against Pakistan had shown himself to be a wonderfully silly cricketer, dropping catches, being run out backing up too far, taking catches with his groin, being warned for running on the pitch, and a myriad of other nonsense.
Here, however, he was as sensible as nobody’s business, batting watchfully as he inched his way towards a century.
But we shouldn’t have doubted him. Because when Labuschagne reached 81, a Base 9 century, he decided that was close enough and immediately chipped a catch to Lahiru Thirimanne
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Classic Marnus manoeuvre. Or ‘Marnoeuvre’, if you inexplicably prefer.
Pat Cummins
Grade: A-
Australia were all out for 323, leaving Sri Lanka with six overs to see out the night. They survived for five overs and five balls before vice-captain Pat Cummins had Dimuth Karunaratne caught behind off the last ball of the second day.
Not the first time that Cummins had struck to end the day’s play, of course. He’d also gone Full Superman to run out Cheteshwar Pujara earlier in the summer.
But as thrilling as dismissing batsmen off the last ball of the day undoubtedly is, there’s little future in specialising solely in that kind of wicket-taking timeframe.
And so Cummins resumed on the third day, tearing through the Sri Lankan batsmen with a spell of brilliant fast bowling. He finished with 6/23, including one wicket that the third umpire determined was too fast for Snicko to properly measure and one that required a spectacular leap from debutant and vice-captain Kurtis Patterson to take the catch.
Astonishing bowling from Cummins, who took his first ever ten-wicket match haul in the process, finishing with 10/62 as Australia won by an innings and 40 runs.
Look, those Thai cave divers did some good work, and fair play to them for, y’know, the selfless heroics and stuff, but Pat Cummins would have been my choice for Australian of the Year.
Well, him or Ellyse Perry.
With only two wickets in four games leading into the game, the Aussie paceman finished with 3/28 as his Knight Riders recorded an eight-wicket…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
Some of you may have watched the recent Fox Sports Series 'A Brief History of Australian Cricket: the Eighties'. If not, I’d definitely recommend…
Nathan Lyon's spell with English county Lancashire has been halved as Cricket Australia looks to protect the fitness of the star spinner. The Australian,…
Cricket Australia insists Optus Stadium can replace the Gabba as the men's Test team's new fortress after handing Perth the first match against India.…
