Australia has won the toss and will bat. Captain Michael Clarke putting the onus on his new look top order to make their opportunity count. Australia are heavily favoured to win the match, which for me is a bit of a surprise given the fragility of its batting line-up. After Clarke and Michael Hussey, who both average more than 50, the next highest average is none other than that of Mitch Starc with 41.
The line-ups:
Australia: Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Matthew Wade (wk), Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon.
Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga, Chanaka Welegedara.
2nd over: Australia 0/7 (Warner 2, Cowan 4) Welegedara opens with a short ball which Cowan tucks to the leg side. It would appear that their pace the Sri Lankan seamers can't be doing that too often.
3rd over: Australia 0/10 (Warner 5, Cowan 4) Warner pushes a thick outside edge through cover, he's looking far more comfortable against the more gentle attack offered by Sri Lanka than by the seamers from South Africa.
4th over: Australia 0/17 (Warner 12, Cowan 4) Welegedara drops short again and Warner flays him past point for the opening boundary. The bowler over-corrects and Warner eases him down the ground for another couple.
5th over: Australia 0/18 (Warner 12, Cowan 4) The first four deliveries from Kulaskera thud ominously into the middle of Warners bat, but for no run. The next two are absolute crackers beating the edge, the latter is a no-ball and the extra delivery again beats Warner all ends up
6th over: Australia 1/18 Wicket! (Cowan c Eranga b Welagedara 4) Maybe he did know what he was doing. Welegedara drop short again and Cowan top edges an attempted pull shot harmlessly to Eranga at mid-on. He looked edgy throughout his short innings, no pun intended. In comes Phil Hughes, the reformed man, although he gets off the mark with an uppish cut stroke for four.
7th over: Australia 1/23 (Warner 12, Hughes 4) Kulasekara, operating from around the wicket has Warner in all sorts playing and missing on multiple occasions. The bowler having a bit of a problem with no-balls, which is worrying given the number of times he's nearly got an edge.
8th over: Australia 1/31 (Warner 16, Hughes 7) One things for sure, if these two get in the scoring rate will not be a problem. Hughes flails one though the covers before Warner takes Welegedara down the ground for four. In between that the keeper is on all fours to receive a ball that refuses to bounce, which is slightly worrying.
9th over: Australia 1/32 (Warner 16, Hughes 8) I'm no expert but Hughes technique contains a lot of moving parts, especially when playing to leg. You can also see his leg stump at all times which I don't think is in any textbook.
10th over: Australia 1/41 (Warner 16, Hughes 17) The two shots of the morning welcome Eranga into the attack, Hughes stroking him through the covers twice with identical shots. On Nine, the commentators are back on one of their favourite topics: Is Ed Cowan a Test batsman?
11th over: Australia 1/44 (Warner 17, Hughes 18) I may have a bit of a bias, but I bet Rob Quiney is silently cursing the selectors for throwing him to the lions against South Africa, while his replacement is having a much easier time against Sri Lanka's gentle mid-120 kph bowlers.
12th over: Australia 1/48 (Warner 21, Hughes 18) Warner who's been tied down recently, wafts at a nothing ball from Eranga. It seems to focus his mind though as he eases a ball through the covers with just enough speed for Dilshan to crash into the fence in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a boundary.
14th over: Australia 1/49 (Warner 21, Hughes 19) Hughes has already improved his average in Australia, which is now over 16! The Sri Lankan's while seeming to lose a bit of movement in the air and off the pitch, have tightened up their line and lengths, drying up the scoring.
15th over: Australia 1/52 (Warner 22, Hughes 21) As the shot-making dries up the commentators have moved onto their second favourite topic of conversation: Phil Hughes' technique. Bill Lawry has just commented on how good he is looking, which is surely the kiss of death for Hughes.
16th over: Australia 1/60 (Warner 29, Hughes 21) Bill Lawry with another gem: "As an opener you can't always blaze away you know." He would know. As if in response to that comment, Warner punches Eranga down the ground for four, then through mid-wicket for three. All without blazing away.
17th over: Australia 1/60 (Warner 29, Hughes 21) Angelo Mathews has been keeping it tight at one end, and delivers another maiden. On the box, the Madden brothers are promoting KFC by playing lawn bowls. I'm as confused as you are.
18th over: Australia 1/60 (Warner 29, Hughes 21) The analysis of Phil Hughes technique seems to have gone on longer than he has actually been at the wicket. Speaking of the wicket, far from the green monster that has been devouring batting averages in state cricket, it looks like a pitch which will give Australia a false sense of security about the strength of its batting line-up.
19th over: Australia 1/65 (Warner 32, Hughes 21) Can a game be meandering in the first session? The Sri Lankan's are keeping it tight but aren't overly threatening waiting for a loose shot. And one appears, although it is lose enough for Hughes to miss the ball completely and be struck in a delicate region between upper thigh and lower abdomen.
20th over: Australia 1/66 (Warner 33, Hughes 21) Kulasekara, the pick of the bowlers so far, is back into the attack nibbling away at what must be said a gentle pace. Almost get Hughes chopping on from a cut stroke from a too full delivery.
21st over: Australia 1/74 (Warner 41, Hughes 21) Welegedara starts his second spell the way he started his first, with a rank loosener, dutifully dispatched through the covers. The response is a gem from the bowler, swinging in catching the inside edge and racing to the fine leg boundary. Textbook french cut. Warner looks like he's getting to the point where he might try something fairly silly soon, a la his dismissal at the WACA.
22nd over: Australia 1/76 (Warner 41, Hughes 23) Hughes had gone 30 minutes with out a run, which may be a part of his reformed character, or credit to the Sri Lankan bowling. He pushes through point for two, while well known batting guru Glenn McGrath puts in his two-bob worth about his technique.
23rd over: Australia 1/86 (Warner 51, Hughes 23) Is it a left armer thing, getting wickets in-between bowling some absolute pies? Australia's has a couple and Welegedara is showing promise. As if to prove my point, Warner crashes him through the covers before edging one straight to third slip, if third slip hadn't just been moved. Angered Welegedara thumps one in short, surprising Warner but it falls safely for Warner to reach his half-century.
24th over: Australia 1/88 (Warner 52, Hughes 24) Is it possible for a partnership of 60-odd to be unconvincing? Not because of repeated plays and misses or edges, but just because every so often the slight flaws in the two batsmen's technique makes batting look slightly well, uncomfortable.
25th over: Australia 1/90 (Warner 53, Hughes 25) McGrath the maths wiz, says there are two things that create swing. The bowler, the ball and the conditions. Good thing he was a seam bowler. Speaking of swing, there is none of that around, which may be why Hughes and Warner are looking so comfortable.
26th over: Australia 1/96 (Warner 57, Hughes 26) The problem with short bowling on a slow pitch at 125 clicks, is that it asks to be hit. Warner complies pulling Kulasekara in front of square. Could be a long series for Sri Lanka at this rate.
27th over: Australia 2/97 Wicket! (Warner run-out 57) Part-timer Dilshan in on to roll some off-breaks before lunch and creates chaos for the Aussie batsman. Warner prods to cover and calls for a single, then stops. Hughes commits to the single and both batsmen end up at the strikers end. Warner, arguably at fault makes a half-hearted attempt to make his ground as Dilshan gleefully whips off the bails at the non-strikers end.What a waste.
Lunch: Australia 2/97 (Hughes 26) That's it for the first session, on which Australia dominated yet for all their effort have little to show for it. Aside for two moments of madness they were largely untroubled. Punters up on the cricket show live pitch-side, which when coupled with the lap of honour during the lunch break will be close to the longest he's been out in the middle in recent times. Cruel?
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