Michael Tesera interview during vs Australia Only Test at Kandy in April 1983
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00:00Ranathunga, 7.
00:02Well, this has been another very good day for Australia.
00:05You know what happened yesterday.
00:082.58 for 2 overnight.
00:10Yalap on 91, Chapel 19.
00:13Yalap was finally out at 98, unfortunately.
00:16Just two runs short of his century.
00:19He might have made it the 7th century in test series.
00:23Chapel was also out at 66.
00:26But then, everything did not go Sri Lanka's way
00:29because Hooks and Border brought in a wonderful partnership of 155 runs,
00:35which contributed to the massive final total at T of 514,
00:41just in two sessions.
00:43Hooks, 143 not out, incidentally, the highest scorer,
00:47beating Wessels by two runs.
00:49Wessels was a 141 run out and Border, 47 not out.
00:54Well, 514, Australia, at T, and Sri Lanka sent in to bat.
01:01Naturally, the Sri Lankan supporters expected that the opening batsmen would perform as well as they did
01:07in the one-day internationals, but this did not happen.
01:10They also hoped that Roy Dias and Dulip Mendes would come off.
01:14There also, they were not very accurate.
01:18What happened was a disastrous start, as I said before.
01:21Wettemunny was the first to go, caught behind off the fire of Lillie's bowling,
01:24and then, there was Dias, who went soon after,
01:29Wettemunny going for no score, Dias for four,
01:33caught by Border at third slip, off the bowling again of Lillie.
01:37Then, Hogg had a part in this.
01:40This was the fire at the beginning of the Sri Lanka innings,
01:44and he had Susil Fernando also, the other opening bat,
01:47go for a catch behind for a blob.
01:50Disastrous is hardly the word. It was really tragic.
01:55However, there was Mendes who came in,
01:57and showed signs that he could hold the fort.
02:00He held back this attack.
02:01He's been batting very beautifully.
02:03He's unbeaten with 33.
02:06And then, he was partened there by Madhukala,
02:09who had a very patient start.
02:11He took about 15 minutes to get off the mark,
02:14but he was batting very well, very confidently.
02:17But unfortunately, Madhukala was caught and bowled by Yardley.
02:24Yardley, using his head, bearing his pitch,
02:28and he had him caught and bowled.
02:31Dilip Mendes, at the moment, as Tamsa drone,
02:34is partnered by Dranathunga.
02:37Sri Lanka hopes are now pinned on them.
02:39Dilip Mendes, unbeaten on 33,
02:41and Dranathunga on 7.
02:44Tomorrow, a crucial day for Sri Lanka.
02:47Will they survive the Australian attack,
02:49or will they crumble under it?
02:51We shall know only tomorrow,
02:53three days to go in this...
02:55Hello, I'm Aubrey, but speaking to you
02:57from the Asgiria International Stadium,
02:59where we are about to witness
03:01the third day's play in the inaugural test
03:02between Sri Lanka and Australia.
03:05It's a lovely, bright, sunny day here at Asgiria,
03:08as Sri Lanka resume with a total on 65 for four
03:11in reply to Australia's 514 for four.
03:14And with me is Michael Tissera,
03:16the former Sri Lankan skipper,
03:17who will give you his assessment
03:19of the first two days' play.
03:21So, it's Michael Tissera.
03:22Thank you, Aubrey.
03:25Australia have dominated this game so far
03:28through their batsmen and their bowlers,
03:31and have now taken a firm grip of this test match.
03:36Their batsmen yesterday piled up 256 runs
03:39for the loss of only two wickets
03:41to allow Chappell to declare a tee
03:44at a massive total of 514 for four.
03:47Soon after, their bowlers
03:50had the Sri Lanka innings in shambles
03:52when they were 9 for 3 wickets
03:56and then 46 for four
03:58to end the day 65 for four
04:00with only two recognised batsmen,
04:03skipper Dulip Mendis
04:04and Arjuna Ranatunga,
04:06both very attacking players, left.
04:08The Australian batsman yesterday showed us
04:12some lovely strokes,
04:14things we've known they are capable of,
04:17particularly Hooks,
04:17who played a fine innings of 143.
04:20In that innings,
04:22he had the distinction of scoring
04:24a hundred between sessions,
04:26and it was also, incidentally,
04:28his first test century.
04:30We saw a far more fluent Chappell
04:33than we have seen on this tour so far,
04:37and Greg Chappell,
04:38who unfortunately missed his hundred,
04:42which he so...
04:43Sorry, Graham Yallop,
04:45unfortunately missed a hundred,
04:47he so richly deserved.
04:49We then had Border,
04:50who played a really solid innings,
04:53quite content to give Hooks
04:56the majority of the strike
04:57in that big partnership,
04:58and they showed us
05:00what test cricket batting was all about,
05:03when even after 400,
05:05they took no chances.
05:07Their bowlers were online straight away,
05:11the great Dennis Lilley,
05:12bowling almost at full pace,
05:14a beautiful sight
05:15and a model for any budding fast bowler.
05:19When Yardley bowled,
05:20he got the opportunity
05:22to turn that ball quite appreciably
05:25on this wicket,
05:26and he is going to be a threat this morning.
05:28The Sri Lanka bowlers disappointed,
05:31with the exception, of course,
05:32of DS De Silva,
05:33who bowled magnificently
05:35right through the innings.
05:37He was nullified, of course,
05:38by the presence of the many left-handers.
05:41The bowling looked to have some imbalance,
05:44with two left-handers,
05:46bowling to a line-up of five...
05:48two leg-spinners bowling to a line-up of five left-handers
05:52in the first six places of the batting order.
05:56The fielding of the Sri Lankans
05:59fell away in the second session.
06:03They wilted after so many hours on the field.
06:06There were some exceptions,
06:07one of whom was Guy D'Alvis,
06:11who had a superb performance
06:12of not giving even one bye
06:14in a total of 500.
06:18The Sri Lankans, when they batted,
06:20showed that they had a weakness
06:21outside the off-stick,
06:23which Lili and Hogg
06:26took full advantage of.
06:28This morning,
06:30the Australians seem to have
06:31a far better balanced attack
06:34to make use of the turn on the wicket
06:37with Yardley off-spin
06:39and Hogg on left-arm spin.
06:42And talking of spin,
06:44the ball turned on the first day.
06:46It turned appreciably yesterday
06:47and which all points to the fact
06:50that this is not a good test wicket.
06:55Well, thank you, Michael.
06:56And here we see the Australians
07:00taking the field
07:02at the commencement of the third day's play
07:04with Sri Lanka on 65 for four.