Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Test Day 4 - 5 Memorable Moments

Day four of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia saw bad light make yet another untimely intervention as it seemed as though the day would eventually have a rather premature end. Kusal Mendis heavily tipped to reach a double century failed to reach the landmark as he was removed early by Mitchell Starc.

The first session was marred by intermittent rain as the Lankans eventually completed their innings 353 shortly after the Lunch interval. The hosts then got their noses in front, perhaps for the first time in the match as the Australians lost three wickets before bad light eventually stopped play, meaning that the match would enter the final day.

1. Starc removes Mendis early:

Mitchell Starc was the hero for Australia in the morning session as he broke through the defenses of the seemingly unbeatable of Kusal Mendis. The latter departed after an outside edge found its way to the safe and secure hands of Peter Nevill behind the stumps. The 21-year old Mendis went on to receive a standing ovation from the crowd present and walked off the park having amassed an impressive 176 runs.

2. Moises Henriques plucks a stunning catch:

The disappointment of losing Steve O’Keefe to a hamstring injury was quite enormous. However, his replacement in the form of Moises Henriques showed one and all exactly what he was capable of. Of course, he couldn’t bat or bowl, but his fielding prowess soon became the talk of the town. For Rangana Herath, it was just another cover drive, but for Henriques, it was a matter of life and death. The 29-year old made a dive for the catch, eventually bringing the curtains on the Sri Lankan innings.

Also read – SL v AUS, 1st Test, Day 4 Review: Australia face tough spin challenge

3. Bad light and Sri Lankan sorrow:

The first session of Day 4 began on a rather wet note as rain delayed the start of play by a few minutes. However, the fact that the rain came down in somewhat of a teasing manner added fuel to the fire as the day looked set to play a fewer number of overs than expected. Moreover, what was more disappointing was the fact that bad light eventually led to the close of play as the match would enter the fifth and final day to churn out a result.

4. Adam Voges survives – just about:

Adam Voges’ batting average in Test matches is something that everyone has well and truly got their eyes on. However, Voges’ batting average was almost spoilt when to umpire Richard Kettleborough adjudged Voges out. However, a review confirmed everything the umpire had predicted, expect for the ball hitting the wickets. The ball would go on to miss the wickets by the slightest of margins, eventually resulting in an unlikely survival of Adam Voges.

5. Lankan tail wags:

In what was an entertaining end to the Sri Lankan second innings, the tail wagged to its fullest. Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, and Rangana Herath smashed the Australian pacers to all parts of Pallekele as they added an important 30 to 40 odd runs required to propel the team to a score of 353.

Also Watch: Lakshan Sandakan spins it a mile to clean up Joe Burns