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Filed under Australia vs Srilanka

For Sub-continent teams, Batting takes longer than bowling when it comes to adjusting to the Aussie pitches. After two tour games and 1st Innings at Gabba - Srilankan yet hadn't learn that they need to score in order to stay in the match!

Australia reached 551 after Jayawardene elected to field.. that was understandable but then , when Srilanka bundled out for 211 and were asked to follow on - they had 340 runs to make before Australia bats again. all of 6 Srilankan top order batsman got a start but gave away their wicket later on. on the 3rd & 4th day - Gabba pitch was at its easiest and Aussie bowlers looked good but no-way lethal. Helped by lots of rain - Srilankans failed to make a match out of this 1st test match?

Reason was their batsman negotiated the ball - never scored runs. except Chamara Silva.

Now Srilanka will go into 2nd test match starting 16th November, feeling let down as there are only 2 test match in the series. But the fact is - Srilankans could easily have saved this match had they scored freely. Now even if they beat aussies at Hobart - somehow - they'll just draw the series!

1st test scorelines
Toss : Srilanka - fielding.
Australia 1st Inn : 551 for 4 dec.
Phil Jaques 100(203), Matt Hayden 43,
Ponting 56, Hussey 133, Clarke 145,
Symonds 53, Murali - 50-4-170-2.
Srilanka 2st Inn : 211 allout
Atapattu 51(183), Jayasuriya 7,
Vandrot 0, Jayawardene 14, Samarwera 13,
Chamara Silva 40, H Jayawardene 21, Vaas 8,
Lee 18-9-26-4, Clark 16-4-46-2.
Srilanka 2nd Inn (following on) : 300 allout
Atapattu 16, Jayasuriya 39, Vandrot 82(170balls),
Jayawardene 49, Samarweera 20, Silva 43, Maharoof 18,
H Jayawardene 1, Vaas 11. Lee 27-7-86-4

Australia won by an innings & 40 runs.
Man of the match : Brett Lee.

Notes from Gabba :
-Cricket Australia is not allowing new agency photographers to enter their premises and take pictures. They are asking for money which new agencies have never paid to anyone. Thus - you don't see any photos of this Aus-Sl test series.

-Its been a tough journey for Stuart McGill, who started his test career in the era of Shane Warne but he now has completed 200 test wickets. And would you believe - McGill is the 4th fastest to reach 200 test match wickets in history of test cricket. after Clarrie Grimmett (36 matches), Dennis Lillee (38 matches), Waqar Younis (39) and now 36 year old McGill touching 200 wickets in his 41st test for Australia!

-Muthiah Muralitharan took just two wickets and now is 7 wickets behind Shane Warne's record.

-Mahela Jayawardene is captaining Srilanka on this Aussie tour but do you know who was Srilanka's first ever test captain? Well, the answer is Bandula Warnapura!

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