Tillakaratne Dilshan put Sri Lanka’s misadventure with DRS down to misfortune. The team has made poor use of the review system in the Hobart test, failing to overturn any decisions with their three reviews while choosing not to review a call that would have been changed in their favour. Sri Lanka do not have the review system available in most home matches, largely because of the board’s financial woes.
The visitors had been unsuccessful in their only review while bowling in the first innings, before both Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews unsuccessfully challenged lbw decisions that were found to be hitting the top of the stumps. Rangana Herath was also given out lbw, but had inside edged the ball onto his pads, and was unable to review the decision because Sri Lanka’s reviews had already been spent.
Late in the day, Nuwan Kulasekara trapped Ed Cowan in front with a ball that straightened off the seam, but despite having both reviews available, Sri Lanka opted not to refer the decision to the third umpire. “Everyone thought that the ball hit the bat,” he said. “There were two sounds and we were in two minds. Now we know from TV that the sound was the bat hitting pad, but that’s how the game goes. The reviews didn’t come our way unfortunately, but I think we were just unlucky.”
Dilshan was bullish about Sri Lanka’s prospects in the Test, even if victory seems to quickly be slipping from their grasp. Sri Lanka conceded a first innings lead of 114, and trail by 141 at the end of day three, with all ten Australian second innings wickets intact. Australia lost Ben Hilfenhaus to a side strain, which will also make Sri Lanka’s task easier in the fourth innings, Dilshan believed. “Still the wicket is very good and the only thing is it was a little bit up and down. We’ll have to see what target Australia will set us. First thing in the morning if we can take a couple of wickets we can put the pressure back on Australia. That will be our main target in the first session tomorrow.
“If they are giving us a target they have to know that they have only two genuine bowlers with Shane Watson. The wicket is still not helpful for the spinners – it is still a really good wicket. If the target is gettable we should go for it and try to win the Test.”
Angelo Mathews helped Dilshan put on 161 on day three – a record for Sri Lanka in Australia, for any wicket. Mathews’ share of the partnership was 75, and Dilshan lauded his teammate’s maturity, after the pair had injected fight into Sri Lanka’s performance, after having slipped to 87 for 4 at the end of day two.
“It’s good to see youngsters put their hands up. Especially Angelo, because he is being groomed to be the next captain and with the help of the senior players, he is batting really well. That’s important for Sri Lankan cricket that youngsters are performing. Dimuth Karunaratne coming into the side is another plus point for us. In a few years time, players like myself, Sanga and Mahela will retire, and it’s time we gave the young cricketers a chance.”
Dilshan was visibly jubilant when he reached his first ton in Australia en route to 147, and backed his teammates to also find form as the tour progresses. Neither Kumar Sangakkara nor Thilan Samaraweera could progress into double figures in the first innings, while Mahela Jayawardene only made 12.
“Good thing for us is that they know how to adjust quickly and they know how to bat here. I have nothing to teach them about batting – both Sanga and Mahela have passed 10,000 runs.”
