Clarke does it in a way characteristic of this innings and of his general approach to spin, down the track and caresses a flighted ball with the turn between mid on and midwicket
Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st ODI at Kandy, Aug 10 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary
That will be all from us for this game. Join us for the 2nd ODI on Sunday from Hambantota. This is Abhishek Purohit signing off. Thanks for all the feedback. Cheers!
Clarke: "The wicket was fantastic, it was dry but held together better than I expected. It is important that I lead from the front, it is great having Ponting at No 3 with all that experience at the other end."
Mitchell Johnson is the Man of the Match for his 6 for 31. Johnson: "I enjoyed myself, good to get that win on the board after the Twenty20 losses, Brett Lee getting his 350th ODI wicket was exciting as well. I enjoyed getting Sanga out, always exciting to get one of their top players out."
Dilshan: "This was not a 190 wicket, we did not bat well. Our shot selection was not good, it was a good toss to win, I think our spinners bowled well, but they did not have the runs to defend."
Hang on for the presentation
Three half-centuries in a chase of 192, Watson threatened to blow Sri Lanka away before falling to spin, Ajantha Mendis threatened to do an encore of the second T20 before Ponting and Clarke dug in to ensure Australia motored to victory. Australia will be tested by the Sri Lanka spinners, who were short in general today, in bigger chases but today Mitchell Johnson has set up a comprehensive win with his career-best haul
carved straight to cover from the crease, a maiden with a run required
gets forward and shoulders arms to one that angles in close to off
pegged on the back foot with one hurrying on and blocks it back
tossed up and he lets it go outside off. now then
played back down the track off the front foot
still cannot get it, pushes straight to covers off the front foot
low full toss on the pads, but Clarke works it straight to square leg
drives off the front foot but cannot beat mid off
scores are level with a work off the back foot wide of midwicket
opening the face to push a tossed up ball towards point
turning down the leg side and he gets a tickle fine on it
Clarke gets to his 50 with his first boundary, down the track, and lofting against the turn over wide long off, class innings
goes well back in the crease to work with the turn behind square leg
off the mark with a punch past extra cover off the back foot
bat and pad close together as he comes forward to defend
well bowled, angled in from round the stumps, and turning past his forward push
Suresh: "Good Strategy by the Srilankans by not exposing Mendis, after they knew they have lost the match long time back..."
he gets it off the middle of the bat this time and gets it down to long on
takes it on the pads as he tries to work a flighted ball from around middle
Ponting is gone this time, he went for the sweep from outside off but was struck on the pad and the ball trickled in to the stumps to dislodge the bail