Cricket: Australia win series after Clarke’s ton

Third Test ends in draw, captain delighted with team’s show on tour.

COLOMBO: Australia clinched the Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0 after captain Michael Clarke led from the front to snatch a draw for the tourists in the finely poised encounter.

For Clarke it was a victorious first Test tour as captain, the series-win coming after the 125-run defeat of the hosts in the opening encounter in Galle. The captain burst into form with a fluent century and Michael Hussey narrowly missed a hundred as Australia piled 488 in their second-innings before they were all out with a lead of 331.

Sri Lanka were seven for no loss in their second knock when the match was called off. Clarke hit 112 and Hussey made 93 in a remarkable batting revival after the tourists had conceded a first-innings lead of 157. The captain hammered 14 boundaries in his robust knock. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath finished with remarkable figures of seven for 157 on an unhelpful pitch, his last wicket giving him 100 Test scalps.

Clarke elated

Clarke was delighted at his team’s fine show during the trip.

“I’m proud with the way we played on this tour,” he said. “It was good to see the new players make the most of the opportunities that came their way.”

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Tillekaratne Dilshan said he was impressed with the way his team bounced back after losing the first Test.

“We came back strongly and that’s a good sign,” he said. “I think we had a good chance to win this game but Australia played better cricket to take the series.” Australia now move up to fourth in the Test rankings while Sri Lanka drop down to fifth.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st,  2011.