3rd Test: Hussey goes out a winner with Australian victory

Hosts beat Sri Lanka by five wickets to clean sweep series 3-0.

SYDNEY:

Mike Hussey bowed out of Test cricket with a win when he guided Australia to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka yesterday, giving the home side a clean sweep of the three-match series.

Left-hander Hussey, playing in his 79th and final Test after announcing his Test retirement, got his team over the line after the loss of five wickets on a tense fourth day at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Hussey provided the steadying hand as Australia made hard work of running down 141 runs for victory on a turning pitch. At the close, Hussey was unbeaten on 27, while Mitchell Johnson hit the winning run to end on one not out.

“I was telling Mitch (Johnson) the over before, if it comes up that you hit it then I’m more than happy to let us get this over and done with,” said Hussey. “I was thrilled to be out there when the winning run was hit.”

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath had earlier threatened to bowl his side to their first Test victory in Australia at the 13th attempt. He finished with three wickets for 47.



Australian fast-bowler Jackson Bird was named man of the match with seven wickets and captain Michael Clarke was picked as man of the series.

“I couldn’t be happier,” said Clarke. “We won the series 3-0 and that was our goal.”

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene had his best match of the series with scores of 72 and 60 but rued his side’s failure to put the Australians under pressure.

“We had game plans, we did take wickets throughout the series, but we failed to put them under pressure,” said Jayawardene.

Australia drop Hussey, rest Clarke for One-Dayers

Meanwhile, Hussey’s retirement from international cricket is likely to come sooner than he thought after he was omitted from Australia’s squad for the first two matches of their One-Day International series against Sri Lanka.

“Taking a long term view towards the 2015 World Cup, the selectors have decided not to include Hussey in the squad for the series,” said chairman of selectors John Inverarity.

Clarke – who has been given time to recover from a hamstring injury – aggressive opening batsman David Warner and wicket-keeper Matthew Wade were also not considered for the squad.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2013.