10.11.2007
Rex Clementine reporting from the Gabba

Records tumbled on the second day of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka as the Aussie first innings was powered by hundreds from Michael Hussey (133) and Michael Clarke (145*) as they imposed 551 for four before declaring after tea on Friday (9).
But all Australia’s good work was spoilt by their tactics of pressuring the inexperienced umpire Tony Hill and getting the prize wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya.
If Sri Lanka were to respond to Australia’s impressive effort, they needed danger man Jayasuriya to fire, but his innings was cut short by the New Zealand umpire. The veteran left-hander had got to seven off seven deliveries before unsuccessfully slashing at a wide Brett Lee delivery and Hill, officiating only his third Test, was mislead by the insisting of Lee as appealed for caught behind. With the wicket offering no assistance to faster bowlers, a player like Jayasuriya would have murdered the bowling and sensing that impending danger, the Australians clearly came out with a plan to pressure the umpire and got the reward for their dirty tactics.
Adam Gilchrist, the so called walker and according to the Western Media the man who plays the game in the right spirit, endorsed the appeal putting one hand up. Gichrist has won a lot of accolades after his famous walk in Port Elizabeth in the World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka but he has provided further evidence for seizing opportunities for his team’s and his sake when it needed!
Sri Lanka also lost Michael Van Dort before close of play and were 31 for two and need a further 320 to avoid the follow on.

The Aussie thumping –
The morning session, however, was completely dominated by the Australian batsmen, on a wicket that offered no assistance whatsoever for the bowers.
The tourists rued the drop chance of Hussey, who was put down when on 13 by Marvan Atapattu at midwicket off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof. Any good batsman will make you pay for the dropped chances and a player like Hussey, nicknamed Mr. Cricket, with a Test average of over 75, will certainly do and he did that by reaching his sixth Test hundred and the first at the Gabba.
He put on a massive partnership of 245 runs with Michael Clarke, who went onto score his fifth Test hundred. Both batsmen struggled initially on day-one, but there were no issues on day-two as they milked Sri Lanka’s bowling. There were no undue risks taken as the pair batted cautiously earlier on and the closest Hussey got to getting dismissed was when he slashed hard at Vaas and the ball flew just over Mahela Jayawardene at first slip to bring up his fifty.
The fourth wicket stand of 245 is the highest against Sri Lanka and the highest at the Gabba. Previously the highest partnership for that wicket against the Sri Lankans was held by Darren Lehman and Damian Martyn while the highest effort at the Gabba was between Ricky Ponting and Hussey himself during the Ashes last summer.
After Vaas slanted down the leg side, Hussey nudged it cleverly to reach his first Test hundred against Sri Lanka with a boundary.
Clarke’s effort meanwhile was chanceless and his batting was awesome to watch, especially the way he played Muralitharan. The 26-year-old got to his fifth Test hundred by coming down the wicket and clipping a full delivery to mid-on against the off-spinner.
Hussey was so comfortable that he treated the introduction of Thilan Samaraweera’s off-spin by coming down the track and depositing a full toss over long on.
The partnership was finally broken when Hussey drove a full delivery hard and flat to Marvan Atapattu at short cover to give Dilhara Fernando his first and only wicket of the game. He made 133 in 148 balls with 13 boundaries and two sixes.
Andrew Symonds too helped himself for a half-century, his third in the career and added an unbroken 90 run stand for the fifth wicket with Clarke.

Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings
P. Jaques st c P. Jayawardene
b Muralitharan 100
M. Hayden c Muralitharan b Vaas 43
R. Ponting st. P. Jayawardene
b Muralitharan 56
M. Hussey c Atapattu b Fernando 133
M. Clarke not out 145
A. Symonds not out 53

Extras:
(b 4, lb 12, w 1, nb 4) 21
Total: for 4 wickets decl. 551
Overs:
151

Did not bat:
A. Gilchrist, B. Lee, M. Johnson, S. Clark, S. MacGill
Fall of wickets:
1-69, 2-183, 3-216, 4-461.

Bowling:
Vaas 28-6-102-1, Maharoof 34-6-107-0 (4nb), Fernando 34-3-130-1 (1w), Muralitharan 50-4-170-2, Jayasuriya 4-0-18-0, Samaraweera 1-0-8-0
Sri Lanka 1st innings
M. Atapattu not out 19
S. Jayasuriya c Gilchrist b Lee 7
M. Van Dort c Gilchrist b Lee 0
M. Jayawardene not out 5

Extras:
0
Total: for two wickets
31
Overs:
16

To bat:
C. Silva, T. Samaraweera,
P. Jayawardene, C. Vaas, D. Fernando, F.
Maharoof, M. Muralitharan
Fall of wickets:
1-7, 2-11.
Bowling:
Lee 5-4-4-2, Johnson 6-1-11-0,
MacGill 3-1-13-0, Clark 2-0-3-0.