O'Keefe five-for studs Australians' dominance

Australians 127 for 1 (Burns 64*, Marsh 47) trail Sri Lankan XI 229 (Gunaratne 58, Siriwardena 53, de Silva 49, O'Keefe 5-43) by 102 runs
Scorecard

Steve O'Keefe, the left-arm spinner, used the bounce available on the P Sara Oval surface to make a potent start to his first Test tour of Sri Lanka. He claimed wickets in batches to finish with 5 for 43 as Sri Lankan XI were bowled out for 229 on the the opening day of their three-day fixture. Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon, the offspinner, went for 72 in 13 wicketless overs.

But it is unlikely that Australia will depose senior spinner Lyon given his good returns through the recent home summer. O'Keefe's success, though, may breed confidence in a potential dual-spin attack as the team is likely to encounter pitches that are significantly drier than this surface.

Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird took two wickets each, and Mitchell Marsh one, before Joe Burns struck an unbeaten half-century in the evening session. The visitors ended the day on 127 for the loss of Shaun Marsh for 47.

For the Sri Lankan XI, Milinda Siriwardana composed a measured half-century to boost his chances of being in the Test squad, although a century may have all but sealed his berth. He shared the innings' biggest stand of 101, for the fourth wicket, with Asela Gunaratne, who struck 58.

Chaturanga de Silva was Lyon's major tormentor in the second session, as he clubbed 10 fours on his way to a 59-ball 49. Dasun Shanaka - de Silva's partner in a rapid seventh-wicket partnership worth 75 - fell to Steve Smith's second exceptional slip catch of the day; Smith climbed high and fast to his right to end Shanaka's innings at 39. The Sri Lankans attempted to attack both spinners through much of the day, but O'Keefe proved difficult to hit away.

"They came out pretty aggressively, but I guess when guys do that you've got a chance to get wickets," O'Keefe said after play. "It gives you confidence to come out the back end of that well. You expect it on a day one wicket that has a bit of grass and not much turn."

Smith had starred in O'Keefe's first dismissal as well, moving towards the leg side in anticipation of Gunaratne's fine paddle to complete a sharp take. O'Keefe had Shehan Jayasuriya caught at short midwicket in the same over and later, dismissed Shanaka, de Silva and Dilhara Fernando in quick succession, to close out the innings.

The Australians seamers largely attacked the stumps, but also troubled the batsmen in short outside off-stump bursts by using the pace and seam movement on offer. Bird and Marsh had their victims caught behind the wicket, while Starc had a top-order batsman lbw, and later snuck a full delivery through the defences of a tailender.

Arriving at the crease after tea, the Australian openers made quick gains against the new ball, finding the offside boundaries regularly as Nisala Tharaka - who is returning from injury - proved wayward. Left-armer Vimukthi Perera, and Dilhara Fernando were more disciplined, but neither came close to making an early breakthrough.

Jayasuriya was the best of the Sri Lankan spinners, bowling Marsh for 47 after the openers had made 97 together. Burns' half century featured five boundaries and a straight six off Siriwardana's bowling. The visitors were 102 runs behind, with nine wickets in hand, by stumps.