Jayawardene steadies Sri Lankan reply

Lunch Sri Lanka 3 for 162 (Jayawardene 43*, Dilshan 14*) trail Australia 220 by 58 runs
Scorecard

After their dream start to the series, Sri Lanka tried to consolidate on the second morning. The pace of the game slowed with Australia's bowlers producing a far more disciplined display. They nipped out a couple wickets too, but Sri Lanka still had their nose ahead as they went into the lunch break on 3 for 162, just 58 runs in the arrears.

Ricky Ponting handed the ball to Michael Kasprowicz and Shane Warne in the morning. The pair bowled tightly and Sri Lanka, clearly trying to consolidate upon the advantage won yesterday, crawled along during the first hour, scoring just 37 runs.

Kasprowicz, who bowled five overs for 13, snatched an important wicket, clinging on to a sharp one-handed return catch off a firm push-drive from Kumar Sangakkara. Sangakkara, who had started his innings the previous evening with a majestic six over midwicket off Stuart MacGill, had scored 22 (2 for 92).

Atapattu, meanwhile, dug in on the slow pitch. He forced away one elegant high-elbowed back-foot drive behind square off Kasprowicz to the boundary, but was otherwise content to accumulate his runs with pushes and neat clips. But the entry of Jason Gillespie created more problems.

Atapattu came within a whisker of being bowled as he shouldered arms to a delivery that jagged back from outside off stump. Next over, straight after a sweetly timed legside flick, Gillespie found the inside edge as Atapattu chopped onto his stumps for 47 (3 for 123).

Mahela Jayawardene (43 not out) showed more adventurous intent at the other end, slapping Warne through extra cover on one occasion and also sweeping one for four. But Warne was also settling into his groove, probing away from over and round the wicket, and keeping Jayawardene on his toes.

Tillakaratne Dilshan's arrival at the crease was followed by another bowling change. Gillespie, who bowled a superb spell of 1 for 12 from six overs, was replaced by Kasprowicz. Dilshan had a couple of narrow escapes, surviving a close lbw shout off Kasprowicz and then getting into a tangle with a well-directed yorker. However, David Shepard, pale-faced under the scorching mid-day sun, kept his finger firmly down.

MacGill, ignored until 15 minutes before lunch, finally entered the fray as Warne collected his cap after a long 13-over morning spell. MacGill made an inauspicious start, serving up a full-toss first up which was heaved to the leg-side fence.

Jayawardene finished off the session on a positive note, steering away a delicate late-cut and then, next ball, slog-sweeping Andrew Symonds over square leg. The late boundaries sealed Sri Lanka's morning but Australia weren't out of the game yet.