Related Links : Sri Lanka’s Tour of Australia 2007/08 : Scorecard
Australia batted themselves into a dominating position at the end of the opening day’s play in the second and final day’s play at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. Riding on consecutive hundreds from left handers Phil Jaques and Michael Hussey, the hosts are at a commanding 329 for 3.
Michael Hussey is still unfinished on 101, a century that had come in the final over of the day’s play. Michael Clarke is the other not out batsman who has got 8 to his name. Australia had batted first after having won the toss. They went unchanged while Sri Lanka made two changes which included the comeback of Kumar Sangakkara from his injury in the place of Thilan Samaraweera and Chaminda Vaas dropped to include Lasith Malinga. Sri Lanka could get rid of Matthew Hayden (17 from 56) in the 20th over of the day after he fell under edging an attempted cut off Dilhara Fernando.
In the second session, Sri Lanka once again broke through a partnership that was building up this time it was Murali foxing Ricky Ponting with a doosra. Ponting made 31 from 66 with 2 fours in a partnership of 91 with Jaques. After Ponting’s dismissal, Sri Lanka lost the plot with Jaques and Hussey combining in a huge partnership which was only broken in the 79th over. Jaques holed out trying a big one off Jayasuriya but by then he was a satisfied man having scored 150 that had come in 237 balls with 18 fours. The rest of the day’s play was negotiated by Hussey and Clarke.