Farveez Maharoof bowled intelligently for the visitors on his recall to the team, while Lasith Malinga struck a key early blow by defeating David Warner with a slower ball. Thisara Perera engineered the run-out of Matthew Wade with a swift gather and throw, and Angelo Mathews maintained his strong form in this series by accounting for Michael Hussey.
David Hussey was left to salvage something from the innings, though he was fortunate to survive a dropped chance from Malinga at third man when the batsman was on eight.
Ricky Ponting, the stand-in captain, was happy to bat first on what looked a pitch for batting, but soon the clouds had closed in on both, on the ground and the Australian batsmen. Warner struck a pair of crisp boundaries but struggled to read Malinga’s changes of pace, and ultimately lobbed a catch to mid-on when trying to get down the pitch. Maharoof took note of Malinga’s craftiness, and used a similar ruse to account for Ponting. Nicely disguised, a slower ball had Ponting too far into the stroke to avoid pushing back a simple return catch, and departing for another slim score this series.
Wade’s demise occurred after Perera swooped from short cover to turn a possible single into a horrid run-out, the wicketkeeper and Peter Forrest both at the same end before Wade elected to sacrifice his wicket. Sri Lanka’s alertness in the field had been apparent, it was justly rewarded here.
Hussey struck one six from Mathews but next ball he fenced at a delivery too close to his body for the shot and edged behind. Forrest fiddled at Maharoof’s exemplary length and line to offer a catch to slip, and Christian shuffled across to be lbw to Perera. The rain then arrived, leaving Australia in a parlous position that may get even worse should Duckworth-Lewis calculations be required.
The Australians had made two changes to the team that lost to India in Adelaide, Brett Lee proving he was fit enough, after suffering a broken toe, to take his place in the XI, while Xavier Doherty shrugged off back spasms to keep his place ahead of the standby spin of the Victorian Jon Holland.
Michael Hussey returned to the team after being rested from the Adelaide match, taking the place of the injured captain Michael Clarke.
Sri Lanka dropped the opener Upul Tharanga and the spinner Sachithra Senanayake, their places being taken by Lahiru Thrimanne and Maharoof. The visitors need a win to keep pace with Australia and India in the series standings, and have the advantage of knowing they have won five of their past seven matches at the SCG.
