Sydney: Michael Hussey ended his Test career on a high on Sunday when Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets with a day to spare in the third Test to sweep the series 3-0.
The 37-year-old was deprived of the ultimate fairytale ending when his batting partner Mitchell Johnson scored the winning run.
Australia, chasing 141 runs to win, lost three wickets in quick succession just before tea that brought Hussey in for his final Test innings before retirement. The break came with the hosts just five runs shy of victory. And when Johnson pushed the ball wide of point for his only run of the innings, Hussey was already halfway down the pitch to secure the winning run.
Australia had dismissed the tourists for 278 before lunch to set up the run chase. They inched nervously towards the target after David Warner had departed for a duck without a run on the board.
Seamer Suranga Lakmal had the opener caught in the slips by his captain Mahela Jayawardene. It was the spin bowling of Tillekaratne Dilshan and particularly Rangana Herath, which was always going to pose more problems on a turning track.
The hot Sunday afternoon at the Sydney Cricket Ground was punctuated by loud appeals from the Sri Lankans almost everytime the ball came near a batsman’s front pad.
Jayawardene, so profligate with his appeals to the TV umpire in this series, made the most of his first of the innings to remove Phil Hughes for 34, with Australia still 96 runs short of their target.
There was some confusion as to whether they were appealing for a catch or lbw off the Herath delivery. The TV pictures showed no nick or glove, but revealed that the ball would have hit the stumps as Hughes was given out.
Clarke, the most prolific test batsmen of last year and named man of the series, came to the crease for another duel with Herath, who took more Test wickets than any other bowler in 2012.
In the end though, it was Dilshan who removed the Australia captain for 29, although opener Ed Cowan (36) and Matthew Wade (9) then quickly fell to Herath.
The crowd had already started chanting Hussey’s name before Clarke’s dismissal, hoping he would bat again in his final appearance after being run-out in the first innings. Their wish was granted. “What a place to finish! The SCG falls among my top three favourite grounds in the world,” Hussey said.
Meanwhile, resuming at 225 for seven, Sri Lanka looked to build on their lead of 87 and give the bowlers something to bowl at. Dinesh Chandimal hit a defiant 62 not out off 106 balls, but ran out of partners when Jackson Bird had Nuwan Pradeep caught behind half an hour before lunch.
Chandimal and Pradeep had put on 41 for the final wicket after Herath (10) and Lakmal (0) had departed cheaply.
Bird, the least experienced of the four Australian pacers, was named man of the match, bagging figures seven for 117.
Australia won the first test in Hobart by 137 runs and the second by an innings and 201 runs inside three days in Melbourne last week. “I think we fought really well, but it wasn’t good enough,” said Jayawardene, who will be stepping down as captain after this series.
“While competing at this level, I think we need to be much better prepared and show more character to win Test matches in these conditions.”
