An inspired Sri Lankan side walloped Australia in the third and final Test match, and in the process won the 3-match series 3-0. With this loss, Australia have now been subjected to defeats in 9 successive matches in Asia, a record which does not do justice to the pedigree of the team, which has been dominant all over the world.
The hosts dug in and stuck to their task, and their spinners spun the web around the visitors and never allowed them to get going in all the 6 innings. This was Steven Smith's first loss as Australia's skipper.
The Australian batsmen never looked in control throughout the series and were constantly struggling against the spinning ball. Also, their spinners were nowhere as penetrative as the Sri Lankan spinners, and this impeded their progress in a big way. Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler, as he picked up 24 wickets in the series, but he never found support from the other end.
On the other side, Rangana Herath was at his wily best and the 38-year old mesmerised the Aussie batsmen and finished with 28 wickets in the series, and quite fittingly was the man to take the final wicket to seal the deal for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka:
Dimuth Karunaratne – 2/10
The left-hander was more like a walking wicket in the series and seldom did he looked settled in the middle. Mitchell Starc accounted for him on 5 occasions in the series, as he kept playing and pushing away from his body.
Sri Lanka could never get a good start, but were somehow bailed out by the middle order. He gets these points only because of the fact that he was a decent fielder, especially in short cover and short mid-wicket.
Kaushal Silva- 6/10
Much like his opening partner, Kaushal Silva too struggled in the series, but he redeemed himself in the final innings where he scored a valiant 115 to increase Sri Lanka's lead and post a formidable total for the Australians.
This and the fact that he was brilliant under the helmet at silly point and short leg made him a great asset for the hosts.
Kusal Mendis- 7/10
The young right-hander scored 176 in the second innings of the First test match, and many believe that this knock changed the complexion of the series completely.
The young man strode out to bat at number 4 and then dug in to churn out a match-defining innings, an innings which was enough to put the match beyond the grasp of the Australians.
He followed this innings with another innings of substance when he scored 86 in the next match and helped Sri Lanka post a formidable score of 281 runs in the First innings.
Also, he was a safe fielder in silly mid-off and short leg and snapped up many sharp spinners.
Kusal Perera- 5/10
The combative left-hander was tried in many positions, and he did get starts on numerous occasions but could not convert them into substantial scores right throughout the series. However, his stroke play allowed Sri Lanka to put some pressure back on the visitors.
Apart from his batting, it was his keeping which was the biggest positive to emerge from the series. He stepped in place of Dinesh Chandimal and made a great fist of things with his glovework. Thus, he can now be the full-time wicket-keeper for Sri Lanka in the near future.
Dinesh Chandimal- 7/10
The vice-captain of the team had a memorable series with the bat and then with the gloves too. IN the first match when none of the batsmen got going, Chandimal chipped in with scores of 15 and 42, which were huge according to the complexion of the game.
In the third and final Test match, he was joined by Dhananjay de Silva with Sri Lanka on the mat at 26/5. Together they stuck it out and stitched together a partnership of 211 for the 6th wicket.
Not only did he score his century by shepherded young de Silva along the way. He was also instrumental in the field.
Angelo Mathews- 5.5/10
The captain came into the series under a lot of pressure after the drubbing his team received in England. However, his troops responded to his clarion call of sticking it out together against the Australians, and it did yield dividends.
His own form with the bat was not very glittering, but he mustered few decent scores right throughout the series. However, his captaincy was spot on throughout the series, and his bowling changes were well thought out. He supported his bowlers with attacking fields and also made some bold moves in the field.
Dhananjaya de Silva- 8/10
The young man was only of the bright sparks to emerge from the tournament, and his calmness at the crease was a joy to behold.
He was the highest scorer in the series, and the innings he played in the first innings of the final Test match will always be remembered for its valour and grit. His 129 runs helped Sri Lanka recover from a jittery position of 26/5.
He was decent with the ball and chipped in with regular wickets throughout the series and Angelo Mathews used him astutely.
Dilruwan Perera- 6/10
The off-spinner found is always under the shadow of Rangana Herath but he found his straps in the second Test match where he picked up 10 wickets in the match and befuddled the Australian batsmen.
He also chipped in with the bat and scored an enterprising 64 in the second innings of the second Test.
The off-spinner finished with 15 wickets in the series and formed a potent combination with Rangana Herath.
Rangana Herath- 10/10
There is a certain joy in watching Herath go about his business, as he does everything with a smile and with poise. He took 28 wickets in the series and wreaked havoc on the Australians with his guile and spin.
His bowling strike rate in this series was 31, which is the best for any spinner with 15 or more wickets against Australia in a Test series.
If his bowling was not enough, he proved to be a stubborn customer to dislodge with the bat too and stuck around to forge vital partnerships with the tail on many occasions.
Lakshan Sandakan- 7.5/10
The young prodigy grabbed eyeballs in the series with his left-arm chinaman and is certainly one to look out for in the future.
He has great control and seldom bowls any loose stuff, and possesses and repertoire of variations which can be very difficult to decipher.
He prized out 7 wickets in his debut match. He was not used too much by Angelo Mathews in the remaining matches owing to the fact that his senior spinners were doing the job for him.
Nuwan Pradeep/Vishwa Fernando/Suranga Lakmal- 3/10
In a series dominated by spinners, the seam bowlers were not very effective and it becomes hard to rate them on a very small sample size.
Australia:
David Warner- 4/10
Much like the other Australian batsmen, David Warner struggled to get in his groove against the spinners. He tried to hit out his way out of the corner but it did not yield the desired results.
He got to his only half-century in the final innings of the series, but then his premeditation did not help him as he was dismissed for 68. He was bowled around his legs, and this dismissal summed up his series.
Joe Burns- 1/10
In his first outing in the sub-continent, Burns was put under the scanner and the Queenslander did not have the required answers.
Such was his struggles that he was dropped for the final match of the series.
Shaun Marsh- 7/10
Shaun Marsh replaced Burns and had an immediate impact when he scored a century in the first innings of the Third match and looked at ease against the spinners.
However, the other Australian batsmen could not contribute and this effort was not enough for Australia to salvage a draw. However, this innings bodes well for Australia for their next tour to India next year.
Usman Khawaja- 2/10
After a bumper last year, Khawaja was brought back to reality when he was found all at sea against the probing spin of Sri Lanka. 26, 18, 11 and 0 were the scores he could manage in the four innings and thus was benched for the final Test match.
One just hopes that the left-hander learns from this tour and builds his game accordingly.
Steve Smith- 7/10
One of the best players of spin in Australia, Smith did play few innings of substance in the series, but then his efforts were never enough to forge a result.
His nifty footwork against the spinners was useful, but then it proved to be detrimental in a couple of occasions. However, the captain scored a century and a half-century in the series and was by far the best batsman in the side.
Adam Voges- 1/10
Adam Voges came into the series with a Test average well beyond 80, but his game was exposed against spin in all the three matches of the series.
Voges never found any answers to the many questions posed to him, and all his tactics to counter spin was not sufficient.
Mitchell Marsh- 3/10
Many great things are expected of Mitchell Marsh, but this series was a major blip in his growth. On unresponsive pitches, his bowling was not penetrative enough, and his batting against spin was far from assuring.
Moises Henriques- 2/10
The New South Wales player was included in the team for the final Test match, but the problems did not cease.
Much like his teammates, Henriques was pre-meditating his strokes, and could never read the flight and lengths of the ball with precision.
Peter Nevill- 4/10
The wicket-keeper was fairly secure behind the stumps but did not look the part with the bat. Nevill has been a good wicket-keeper and contributes handy runs with the bat, but then this tour will be a sharp learning curve for him.
Mitchell Starc- 8/10
On pitches which were tailor-made for spinners, Mitchell Starc showed his pedigree with the ball as he accounted for 24 wickets in the series.
He was brilliant with both the new as well as the old ball and was the go-to-man for Steven Smith.
Nathan Lyon- 4/10
Much was expected from Nathan Lyon, the greatest Australian off-spinner in spinning conditions, but unfortunately, the off-spinner could not come up with the goods in the series, and was a massive let down for the visitors.
Jon Holland - 2/10
Holland was handed his Test cap after Stephen O'Keefe was ruled out of the series with an injury. Holland who had a decent run in Shield cricket, could not replicate his performances on the International circuit and did not look penetrative enough.
Much to learn for the left-arm spinner.
Josh Hazlewood- 4.5/10
In conditions where is there is no pace and seam movement, the primary role of Hazlewood was to keep his end tight and allow other bowlers to attack from the other end.
He started this series with a bang and picked up 3 wickets in the first session, but then wickets dried up as the series progressed.
Also, he was not as effective with the old ball, and this is one area where he needs to improve a lot.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
