BURNS BABY BURNS
Queenslander smashes Australia’s first century of the summer
JOE Burns has ended Australia’s great century drought and gone a long way to booking his spot on the Ashes tour with a hundred against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Canberra.
Called back into the side last week in Brisbane, Burns took his chance at Manuka
Oval to become Australia’s first century-maker of the summer in the final Test before the Ashes.
Patient early as he negated the early swing and withstood an Australian collapse, he became dominant on the back foot on opening day as his innings went on.
Looking in perfect touch from the moment he opened his account with two glorious drives to the cover boundary, he plundered all three of Sri Lanka’s quicks through midwicket for four on the pull.
He also twice jumped down the deck to hit Dilruwan Perera over his head for four.
He brought up his century off his 147th ball when he dropped Kasun Rajitha at his feet for a single just before tea, marking the fourth triple-figure score of his career and just Australia’s second in 12 months.
The 29-year-old has offered just one chance. He should have been caught on 34 when he edged Perera on the cut to first slip, only for it to be dropped by Dhananjaya de Silva.
Burns’ century is a big boost to his hopes of a ticket to England for the Ashes but where he might bat is unclear.
Only Marcus Harris or him will remain at the top of the order when David Warner returns, and Harris has arguably been Australia’s find of the summer as an opener.
Burns debuted in 2014 at No.6 for Australia, while his maiden first-class century came in his first Sheffield Shied match for Queensland while at No.4.
The knock is Burns’ fourth hundred of his career, and marks his first score of above 50 in his past five Tests since February 2016 in New Zealand.
Australia’s century drought has ended in a flood with Travis Head reaching his maiden Test hundred in style against Sri Lanka at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.
After Burns brought up Australia’s first century of the summer just before tea on day one of the second Test, Head went to three figures early in Friday’s final session from 155 balls.
The left-hander’s breakthrough ton came in his eighth Test after four half-centuries, following up an 84 during the first Test in Brisbane.
When Travis Head joined Burns at the crease Australia were struggling at 3-28.
Harris was out for 11, Usman Khawaja fell two overs later for a duck, and Marnus Labuschagne soon joined them in the pavilion after his 11-ball six.