Aussies take full control

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP):

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon bagged five wickets on debut then captain Michael Clarke hit a fluent 60 on a difficult pitch to put Australia in command with a 283-run second-innings lead against Sri Lanka in the first Test yesterday.

Australia reached 115-6 when bad light stopped play on day two on a pitch crumbling since the first day at Galle International Stadium.

Lyon bagged 5-34, including a wicket with his first ball, and seamer Shane Watson took three wickets in nine deliveries to finish with 3-11 and help end Sri Lanka's first innings on 105, giving Australia a lead of 168.

The pitch offered sharp turn and bounce for the spinners and also assisted the seamers with movement and bounce. In just two days of play, 26 wickets have been lost and 493 runs scored. Sixteen wickets were lost on Thursday alone.

Lyon, a former curator, said the first two days of the Test have been among the best days of his life.

"Receiving the baggy green (cap) from Greg Chappell and to be able to take five wickets on debut is something very special," Lyon said.

On dismissing Kumar Sangakkara with his first ball, he said: "I won't say it was a perfect ball, it was quite wide. I was happy with it in the end."

Sri Lanka coach Rumesh Ratnayake attributed a lack of fighting spirit for his team's setback.

'Not enough'

"I personally think the fight was not enough. I just came from a meeting saying that we should fight a bit better," Ratnayake said, adding he refused to cite the pitch condition as an excuse.

"We can learn a lesson from the Australians. Even though it was not a good wicket to play on they still managed to get that single and those runs when they wanted.

"We should be more used to playing on spinning tracks than anyone else."

Trailing by 168, Sri Lanka seamer Chanaka Welegedara dismissed opener Watson on the first ball of Australia's second innings, having him caught at gully by a diving Thilan Samaraweera.

Ricky Ponting then attempted a pull shot on 4 and lost his grip of the bat, resulting in a high catch to Rangana Herath off seamer Suranga Lakmal.

Placed precariously on 5-2, Clarke and Phil Hughes combined for a useful 56-run stand before Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan trapped Hughes lbw for 28.

Clarke and Mike Hussey, who top-scored for Australia in the first innings with 95, combined for 49 until Herath, the left-arm spinner, dismissed both batsmen in successive balls.

Clarke top edged an attempted sweep for a high catch to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene. He hit a six and seven boundaries in his 80-ball innings. Video reviews showed Hussey, on 15, gloved a delivery for a catch to Tharanga Paranavitana at forward short-leg.