Rain helps Sri Lanka salvage a draw
Australia did many things right in the second Test but in the end they couldn't beat the Pallekele weather, or Sri Lanka, as the match faded away to a gloomy draw on the fifth afternoon
08/09Result
2nd Test, Australia tour of Sri Lanka at Kandy, Sep 8-12 2011
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
174 & 317/6 (114.3 ov) -
![Australia]( "Australia")
411/7d
Player of the Match
08/09Result
2nd Test, Australia tour of Sri Lanka at Kandy, Sep 8-12 2011
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
174 & 317/6 (114.3 ov) -
![Australia]( "Australia")
411/7d
Player of the Match
Day 5
Harris and Marsh pose questions for Clarke
Michael Clarke must weigh up the fitness of his spearhead Ryan Harris and the century at No. 3 by Shaun Marsh as he travels to Colombo for the third Test
Harris as valuable as he is fragile
Australia's success thus far in Sri Lanka could not have taken place without Ryan Harris and his combination of speed, swing and seam
Mendis out of third Test
Ajantha Mendis will play no part in the Test series against Australia, having been ruled out of the final match in Colombo because of a back complaint
Day 4
Solid Sangakkara fights for Sri Lanka
Australia's chances of victory faded with the light around Pallekele on the fourth afternoon, as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene settled in on a pitch offering little for the bowlers
Haddin calls for DRS consistency
Brad Haddin, Australia's wicketkeeper, has said the use of technology to review decisions should be made uniform across international cricket or thrown out altogether
Sangakkara calls for extended runs for players
Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka batsman, has called for stability in the team after they gave themselves a chance of staving off a Test match and series defeat by Australia in Pallekele
Sri Lanka's batting finally comes good
While their bowling attack has been weakened by retirements, there are no excuses for Sri Lanka's batting failures in this series, and the batsmen took what was, perhaps, their last chance to assert themselves
Another missing frame and Hussey strikes again
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele
Day 3
Marsh and Hussey star before rain sets in
There was plenty for Australia to celebrate on the third day in Pallekele - Shaun Marsh's hundred on debut, and Michael Hussey's 14th Test century - but Sri Lanka ended the day with some hope of salvaging a draw after rain washed out almost the entire aft
No excuses from Ratnayake
Rumesh Ratnayake, Sri Lanka's interim coach, has denied the team's dire form thus far against Australia is the result of internal discord
Marsh took playing Test cricket for granted
As Shaun Marsh basked in the glow of a century for Australia on Test debut, he admitted that as a precocious teenager he had taken for granted the amount of application required of a Test cricketer
Marsh performs, who will perish?
Shaun Marsh's debut century has opened up one of Australian cricket's most significant selection debates and has put pressure on numerous incumbents, including Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke
Day 2
Marsh and Hussey power Australia
Shaun Marsh and Michael Hussey drove Australia into a powerful position at stumps on the second day in Pallekele
Unlucky number won't bother Marsh - Hussey
Michael Hussey says Shaun Marsh has the composure to deal with being 87 not out overnight and praised the debutant's concentration
Sangakkara's role-switch, Watson's Dilshan-moment
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the second day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele
Newcastle revisited
Shaun Marsh's maiden first-class ton came in the company of Michael Hussey eight years ago in Newcastle, and, so far, he's looked good to repeat the feat in Test cricket in Pallekele
Day 1
All-round Australia dominate first day
This Test series is only five days old, but already Michael Clarke's Australians can sense victory. Their win inside four days in Galle was impressive, but even more encouraging for the country's fans was the way Australia started the second Test in Palle
Clarke's a thinking captain, says Hussey
Michael Hussey couldn't believe that Michael Clarke was giving him a bowl, but, according to him, there was method to his captain's madness
Still no luck with the DRS for Harris
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele
Dilshan demands batting improvement
Sri Lanka's captain Tillakaratne Dilshan has demanded more from his batsmen following their first-innings surrender for 174 in the second Test against Australia in Pallekele
The leader and the left-over
While Michael Clarke has looked the part of leader of his team in the series so far, Tillakaratne Dilshan seems to be finding it hard to cope with the complex demands of captaining Sri Lanka
Others
Marsh to press Hughes, Khawaja for spots
Shaun Marsh, could press Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja for a place in the Australia XI when Ricky Ponting returns, with captain Michael Clarke saying there were "no guarantees" for batting berths in the side
Eranga favoured to debut
Shaminda Eranga, the fast bowler, has a strong chance to make his Test debut for Sri Lanka in the second Test that begins tomorrow in Pallekele, as left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara struggles with a knee problem
Finger flickin' Mendis a must for Pallekele
The man who took Mendis straight from the army into Sri Lanka's spin-bowling academy says he could be the difference in the Tests against Australia