Michael Clarke struck a sublime century to become his country’s highest Test run-scorer in a calendar year as Australia marched to an imperious 278-run lead at the close of day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.
The Australia skipper, enjoying an inspired year, surpassed the 1,544 runs Ricky Ponting amassed in 2005 during his innings of 106, before tail-ender Mitchell Johnson rubbed salt into Sri Lanka’s wounds with an unbeaten 73.
Paceman Johnson strode off at stumps with Nathan Lyon yet to score, with Australia having added 108 runs in the session after tea to drive their total to an imposing 440-8 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Photo: EPA
“As many runs tomorrow would be very handy,” Clarke told reporters after celebrating his first ton at the MCG.
“I would love to see Mitchell get his second Test hundred and then we’ll be back out there bowling and hopefully we can bowl Sri Lanka out,” he said.
Sri Lanka, skittled for 156 on day one, had only a six-run lead to protect at the start of the day’s play and their hopes of restricting the hosts diminished with a hamstring injury to seamer Chanaka Welegedera in the morning session.
The remaining bowlers had little assistance from a flattening pitch on a gusty day and were put to the sword by Clarke and Shane Watson, who composed a record-breaking fourth-wicket stand of 194 against Sri Lanka at the MCG.
Clarke’s fifth Test ton of the year, the 22nd of his career, propelled him to 1,595 runs for the year and fourth on the all-time list behind Mohammad Yousuf (1,788), Viv Richards (1,710) and Graeme Smith (1,656).
Clarke’s selection appeared a gamble after he sustained a hamstring injury in the first-Test victory in Hobart, and pundits complained that it was a case of double-standards given injury-free seamer Mitchell Starc was left out as part of the team’s controversial rotation policy.
Few would be arguing after yesterday, with Clarke’s 14-boundary knock confounding the Sri Lankans for more than four hours and putting Australia in the box seat to take a winning 2-0 series lead before the final Test in Sydney.
The 31-year-old’s dismissal, slashing a Shaminda Eranga delivery to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips, broke his perfect record of scoring at least a double-century once he surpassed 100 this year.
It also sparked a mini-collapse as Watson (83) and Matthew Wade (1) fell in quick succession to ill-conceived hook-shots, both caught in the deep before tea.
Watson’s half-century was his first in eight innings and a welcome return to form, but the barrel-chested all-rounder will rue another lost chance to score his third Test century.
The quick wickets gave Sri Lanka faint hope of saving the match, but they were plunged back into the mire with a defiant seventh wicket stand of 61 by Mike Hussey and Johnson.
Hussey was caught for 34 shortly before the drinks break off a mis-timed slog to long on off the bowling of part-time spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Rangana Herath put in a bid for catch-of-the-year as he scampered to his left and plucked an extraordinary, lunging catch with the thumb and forefinger on his left hand to draw kowtows from the crowd.
Johnson, who led Australia’s first innings bowling with a four-wicket haul, marched on with seamer Peter Siddle and raised his half-century with a push to mid-on for two.
Siddle was removed for 13 by a blinding catch by Jayawardene in the slips to give Eranga a second wicket.
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