Sri Lankan Lions struggled against Lyon,all out for 105

Looks like the search for a successor to Shane Warne is over. Debutant Nathan Lyon picked up five wickets on a track that was beginning to look like a bowler’s paradise, on the way to bowling out Sri Lanka for a paltry 105 on the second day of the first Test of the series here. The last four wickets added 5 runs.

After picking up a wicket off his first ball in Test cricket, Lyon ran through the Sri Lankan lower order. He had snared 5 batsmen for 34 runs: before this run, he had managed 14 wickets in first-class cricket, in a short career.

Debutant Copeland too had an eventful debut. Taking off from where he left off with the bat yesterday, Copeland joined a rare league of bowlers who got a wicket in the first over on debut. T.M.Dilshan cracked his first ball in international cricket through the covers for a boundary, as if to say ‘Hello and welcome to the Big Boys Club.’ Copeland next ball was wide outside the off-stump, inviting a repeat. Dilshan could not resist the offer, went with the stroke, only to see Ponting at short covers pull off a stunner of a catch to his right. At the box reserved for invitees, next to the Press Box, Copeland’s mother could not hold back her tears, as she savoured the moment.

For someone really tall, Copeland, who bowls medium pace does not appear fearsome. That possibly is the reason why Dilshan went after Copeland. But Copeland while slow, bowls a menacing line and length and waits – as long as it takes – for the batsman to make a mistake. One Australian journalist recalled an instance in a local match where Copeland bowled from one end through the morning session, and then, came back again in the afternoon to continue bowling. “He can bowl 20-25 overs on the trot. He keeps the ball up, extracts movement and bounce and waits for the batsman to make a mistake,” he said. Sounds quite like Praveen Kumar, but Copeland is clearly at an advantage because of his height.

Nathan Lyon, introduced in the 16th over, had a date with history: he became the 14th bowler in test history to take a wicket off his first ball in a test. Lyon, nearly as tall as England’s Swann, drew Sangakkara out with a looping, dipping delivery that took Sangakkara’s bat’s edge as it moved away after pitching. Clarke held on to a sharp chance at slip.

Lyon and Copeland conspired yet again for another big wicket. Paranavitana gently pushed Lyon towards backward point and set off for a single. Copeland, the fielder, was on the ball in a flash and threw it to wicket keeper Haddin. Mahela was still to get to the batting end when Haddin broke the stumps.

Lyon came back later in the afternoon to bowl a tentative Anjelo Mathews around his legs. Ranganna Herath, not known for his batting exploits, picked deep mid-wicket on the slog sweep. The dream debut was not over: Randiv’s full-blooded drive off Lyon was caught at short mid-on by Ponting. Lyon then invited Welegedara to drive uppishly and dived football goal-keeper style to his left to hold on to a catch high over his head. Lyon had arrived.

Clearly, the bowling was being led by a pack of green horns, even as the only bowler with over 100 tests to his credit, M.Johnson, preferred to come in first change. That looked a little more than strange.

Shane Watson contributed too. He was introduced into the attack for the first time in the afternoon. In his second over, he managed prodigious reverse swing and sent back both Samaraweera and P.Jayawardene with almost identical deliveries, coming in. Both batsmen were trapped in front. Then Watson managed to trap leg before the hermit-like Paranavitana, who was steady and solid in defence, and had scored just 29 off 115 balls. At that point, the challenge had effectively ended.

SCOREBOARD:

Australia (1st innings): 273 all out

Sri Lanka Batting (1st innings): T.M.Dilshan c Ponting b Copeland 4, T.Paranavitana lbw Watson 29, K.Sangakkara c Clarke b Lyon 10, M.Jayawardene (run out) 11, T.Samaraweera lbw Watson 26, P.Jayawardene lbw Watson 0, A. Mathews b Lyon 5, S.Randiv c Ponting b Lyon 9, R.Herath c Johnson b Lyon 0, S.Lakmal (not out) 2, C.Welegedara c and b Lyon 1. Extras 8. Total: 105 in 50 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-24, 3-44, 4-87, 5-87, 6-88, 7-100, 8-100, 9-103

Australia Bowling (1st innings): Ryan Harris 8-5-6-0, Copeland 12-3-24-1, Johnson 9-1-26-0, Lyon 15-3-34-5, Watson 6-1-11-3