Sri Lanka vs Australia: Prabath Jayasuriya enters exclusive club with five-for on debut – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took a five-wicket haul on his Test debut as he returned to the pitch on Saturday against Australia in the second Test match at Galle.

The 30-year-old added three wickets to his overnight tally of three with his left-arm spin as he took down wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey for 28 along with Mitchell Starc, caught at slip for one, and Nathan Lyon, a leg-before wicket for five.

He is only the seventh Sri Lankan bowler to claim a five-fer on Test debut. The left-arm spinner had 17 five-wicket hauls in 62 matches in his domestic career.

Jayasuriya was one of the three Sri Lankan players, including Maheesh Theekshana and Kamindu Mendis, to get a Test cap after a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad.

Sri Lanka bowled out Australia for 364, as Steven Smith was left unbeaten on 145 in the first session.

The tourists resumed on 298-5 with Smith and Carey taking their sixth-wicket stand to 77 before Jayasuriya broke through with the score on 329.

Jayasuriya set a trap for Carey who miscued a reverse sweep to be caught at backward point for 28.

Fast bowler Kasun Rajitha and ‘mystery’ spinner Theekshana also struck as Smith ran out of partners.

Smith and Marnus Labuschagne led Australia’s dominance on day one with a third-wicket partnership of 134 as the pair took the attack to the opposition bowlers.

Labuschagne hit his first overseas century as he made 104 before being stumped off Jayasuriya.

The second day’s play in the port city had few spectators, with hundreds of protesters demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa outside the ground.

Sri Lanka is enduring its worst-ever economic crisis and much of the public has accused Rajapaksa’s government of chronic mismanagement.

Australia lead the two-match series 1-0 after a crushing opening win inside three days during last week’s first Test.

With inputs from AFP

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.