Michael Hussey is several things. Unrelenting soldier with the bat, consummate team man, the ultimate professional. Add to that list a couple of other unofficial titles: Unlikely assassin, and acrobat.
The 36-year-old's pedestrian medium pace had only ever earned him two Test wickets before he was introduced by captain Michael Clarke midway through the first day of the second Test at Pallekele Stadium yesterday. His all-time victims: the West Indies' Dwayne Bravo, in Brisbane in 2009, and the South African chinaman Paul Harris at the MCG the summer before.
Kumar Sangakarra is an entirely different category. The star Sri Lankan batsman, named captain last month of the ICC Test Team of the Year, had by mid-afternoon just passed 8500 Test runs and was beginning to cause frustration for Australia on a day otherwise dominated by the tourists.
Cue Clarke to point towards Hussey to warm up, briefly, and deliver only the 32nd over of his Test career.
A bizarre bowling change, it also proved a blessed one. On Hussey's third ball Sangakarra thumped a ball to short cover, straight into the waiting hands of Phillip Hughes. He trudged off for 48 and a shambolic Sri Lanka was bowled out not long afterwards for 174.
Hussey did not bowl another over and admitted he was in disbelief. ''First of all I couldn't believe that Michael Clarke was going to bring me on for a bowl,'' he said. ''I was pretty shocked but obviously it was a very valuable wicket for the team and I'll take it any day of the week because he's obviously one of the best players in the world.''
Of Clarke's decision to call on him, he said: ''There was method to his madness. It wasn't just about giving everyone a go. It was about just maybe bowling someone a little bit slower. The pitch was slow and was hard to drive and Sangakarra probably showed that through his innings. He was right - he is certainly a thinking captain and he had the golden hand today.''
Hussey, a hero with the ball for the first time, joked: ''I'm starting to stiffen up already.''
Yesterday was no laughing matter for Sri Lanka, whose woes only deepened when Phil Hughes (23 not out) and Shane Watson (36 not out) took Australia to 0-60 as the light faded on the rugged landscape east of Kandy.
It was a day to remember for Hussey. The man of the match in the first Test win in Galle last week, the veteran also took a blinder of a catch at gully to assist in removing Sri Lanka's other most valuable accumulator of runs, Mahela Jayawardene, on four, off the bowling of Trent Copeland (2-24). Located at gully, Hussey dived to his left to pull off a brilliant grab.
''It's pretty special,'' Hussey said of the catch. ''It's always great to hang on to a spectacular catch but I think more importantly it was the wicket of Jayawardene who was obviously a big thorn in our side down in Galle.''
That wonderful effort left the hosts broken at 3-14 and on a second Test wicket that had been tipped to favour batsmen - Sri Lanka won the toss - Australia was merciless, accelerating its drive to wrap up a series victory and as a result replace Sri Lanka at fourth in the Test world rankings.
The hosts' top order was rattled through in quick time by Ryan Harris (3-38) and Copeland (2-24). Harris was the pick of the Australian bowlers but Copeland, the tall NSW medium-pacer, remains the principal find of this Test tour.
There was also reward for second-game spinner Nathan Lyon (2-41), who showed patience on a first-day track not designed for turn. Sri Lanka's collapse left Angelo Mathews once again fighting a lonely battle before Mitchell Johnson (2-48) had him caught behind for an admirable 58.
Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, whose team is rumoured to be looking at hiring psychologist Rudi Webster after the series, admitted the day's display had not been good enough. ''They bowled really well in the start but our batsmen didn't bat well,'' Dilshan said.
Sri Lanka's day started badly, with left-arm spinner Rangana Herath ruled out with a finger injury while Ajantha Mendis could be in doubt for the remainder of the series due to a back complaint. That meant off-spinner Suraj Randiv retained his spot while leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna was handed a Test debut in place of Herath.
with AAP
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