Captain laments lack of discipline in first test loss
Australian captain Steve Smith has bemoaned his team’s lack of batting discipline, as the tourists scramble for a fresh plan heading into this week’s second test against Sri Lanka.
The Australians were beaten by 106 runs in the series-opener in Kandy, having been spun out for 161 on day five.
It was Smith’s first loss in 12 tests as captain, Australia’s first to Sri Lanka since 1999 and their seventh-straight defeat in ‘Asian’ conditions, including series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates and in India.
The bowlers did their job on the opening day, dismantling Sri Lanka for 117, but returns of 203 and 161 with the bat were not good enough. Smith was the only Australian to pass 50 in the match, with a fighting 55 in the second innings.
‘‘I think our batting, we lacked a little bit of discipline in our first innings. I thought we were in a good position to get a much bigger lead than 86, so we didn’t push on as much there as we would have liked,’’ Smith said.
‘‘In the third innings of the match, I didn’t think we did a great deal wrong. Kusal Mendis played an exceptional innings to score 176 - I guess that took the game away from us.’’
The tourists doggedly fought for a draw on Saturday, no doubt hoping there would be another case of bad light or rain. It wasn’t to be.
Peter Nevill and injured spinner Steve O’Keefe survived for 178 balls in a stand of only four but their resistance would ultimately be broken.
‘‘From the batters’ point of view, we need to find a way to be successful in these conditions. We let the spinners into the game a lot more than we probably should have.
‘‘Rangana (Herath) got the majority of his wickets on the inside of the right-handers’ bat and the outside of the left handers, so we have got to find a way to play that a lot better in Galle.’’