On the morning of the game when one man cheer leader Lionel and I got into the taxi from the hotel, the taxi driver said 'It is time that your blokes got off their bums and started winning. They have been a disappointment so far'. And happily that was what the Lankans finally did.
Kaluwitharane and Atapattu played very sensibly and responsibly to put on a big stand for the second wicket. Kaluwitharane who was partly responsible for Jayasuriya's run out, took it on himself to stay at the wicket and score when the opportunity presented itself. He was unhappy when he was ruled out LBW.
Atapattu was always in line and when he is at the wicket what a treat he provides in classic batsmanship. Kaluwtharane made a solid 54 in 82 balls and Atapattu 82 in 131 balls. It was then that, that man for all seasons Ranatunga walked in to show his troops how to fight Ranatunga who is always anathema to the Aussies, although hampered by an ankle injury which did not allow him free reign of his strokes used his experience to restore calm when the pressure was on to take them to a grand victory.
Arjuna Ranatunga won the toss and quite rightly decided to send the Australians into bat in cold and overcast conditions which was going to help swing bowling.
Roshan Mahanama was given another go in the absence of left armer Nuwan Zoysa who suffered an injured back. The conditions here would have been much to the liking of Zoysa. His injury was another blow to the Lankans.
The Australians brought in Shane Lee for Damien Fleming who is out with a shoulder injury and recalled Brendon Julian for Ricky Ponting who was being disciplined for brawling in a pub,
The Lankans who dismissed the Aussies for 210 could have had them much cheaper had not Chaminda Vaas and Muthiah Muralitharan shown butter fingers. Vaas dropped Darren Lehmann when he was on 19 and the score on 57 for 2 and then Muralitharan missed a caught and bowled chance with Mark Waugh on 49 and the score on 110 for 2. Vaas' dropped catch proved costly as Waugh and Lehmann went on to add 93 runs for the third wicket in 124 balls. Muralitharan later dropped Shane Lee off Chandana at square leg when the batsman was on 8 and the score 139 for 3. With Sri Lanka struggling to be in contention in the tournament, misses as easy as this are unforgivable.
The wicket was slow and in conditions where the ball was wobbling about, Vaas and Wickremasinghe had to keep the ball up. But by pitching short they allowed Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist enough time to watch the ball.
Waugh and Lehmann applied themselves after the early loss of Gilchrist for 12 at 20 and Greg Blewett for 1 at 25. Lehmann profited from his 'life' and made 51 in 65 balls with 3 fours. Lehmann was strong in his driving. Waugh who plays beautifully off his toes made 65 in 105 balls with one four. Skipper Steve Waugh was the only batsman to show aggression hitting a four and a huge six in his 20 which came off 22 balls. During his innings he aggravated his ham string injury and Damien Martyn substitute for him.
Vaas finished with 3 for 27 off 10, Jayasuriya 3 for 47 off 10 and Muralitharan had 2 for 42 off 10.
Reuter adds from Hobart: Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga was thrilled to get the win. ``I thought we batted really well, then panicked a little in the middle. I was a bit worried towards the end,'' Ranatunga said.
Of his injury, he said: ``I felt it fielding when the surroundings became soft. When I was batting, it was stiff and I thought it would get better but it got worse.''