Sri Lanka v Australia, 3rd Test: 5 Memorable Moments

A magnificent 163-run against Australia at the SSC ground in Colombo saw Sri Lanka complete their first clean sweep in their entire Test match history. What was more impressive was the fact that the Sri Lankans blanked and shut out the Australians, the top-ranked Test team in the world. Unlike the previous Tests, this one saw the match hang on a knife-edge until the very last day where the Australians were blasted out by left-armer Rangana Herath.

1. Starc and Lyon decimate Lankan top order

The first session on the first day of the match saw Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon simply decimate the Sri Lankan top order. Starc certainly seemed to be in his element when he dismissed Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, and the dangerous Kusal Mendis all in the first session of play. Nathan Lyon also chipped in by dismissing Kusal Perera and skipper Angelo Mathews. All of this took place within the first two hours of play, something that saw Sri Lanka reeling at 26-5.

2. Dhananjaya de Silva smashed maiden Test match ton

Dhananjaya de Silva has a reputation of being perhaps one of the most fearless batsmen in the Sri Lankan ranks at the moment. While Dinesh Chandimal was making headway by playing the patient game, de Silva made his intent clear when he began to smash the ball to different parts of the SSC. While one can certainly agree that the aggressive game was important in the overall context of the game, it was clear that Dhananjaya had a plan. He eventually went on to score a wonderful 129, his first century in Test cricket.

3. Shaun Marsh makes his opportunity count

Brought in as a replacement for the out of form Joe Burns, Shaun Marsh made the most of his opportunity by smashing the ball to different parts of the ground. He played spin much better than any batsman had played thus far and also made sure that he took his side to a safety zone, something that put them in the best possible chance of clinching a win. Marsh would eventually go on to score an important 130. He was supported by Steve Smith who managed a decent 119 for his effort.

Also read – SL v AUS, 3rd Test Review: Sri Lanka clinch historic series win

4. Kaushal Silva smashes important ton

In the past few series, Kaushal Silva’s contributions have been quite horrible. Having mustered just the one half-century and the likes of Kusal Perera and Karunaratne breathing down his neck it was clear that a performance from Silva was indeed required to save him from the selection ax. His response was a wonderfully compiled ton, something that not only guarantees his spot in the following Test but also set up the total for Sri Lanka that would eventually go on to help them claim the win.

5. Rangana Herath smashes records yet again

38-year old Rangana Herath impressed one and all with some splendid bowling all through the series. However, the fact that he claimed 28 wickets in the series was also something that attributed to his performance on the final day of the final Test, something that saw him stake his claim to fame. He claimed 7 wickets on the final day’s play and 13 wickets in the match as the Aussies had absolutely no answers to his spinning prowess.

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