Michael Clarke may have been the one savouring his first victory as full-time Test captain, and Mike Hussey the Man of the Match, but two other players in Australia's 1st Test victory over Sri Lanka are worthy of mention.
This was ex-skipper Ricky Ponting's 100th Test win, which is more than most nations have achieved in their history, let alone a player's career. He's now well into his 37th year and his contribution to the win at Galle was only 48 runs. Indeed he has reached three figures only once in the last two years - and that was a double against Pakistan - but his landmark is a reminder of what he has achieved with Australia. 'Punter' made his debut at the WACA, also against Sri Lanka, in December 1995, making 96 out of a massive total of 617-5 declared. Interestingly, the other debutant in that match, Stuart Law, hit an unbeaten 54 and never played another Test. However, with a career aggregate of more than 27,000 runs, I don't think any other Australian has score more in first-class cricket. The likes of Ponting and the Waughs kept him out of the side but who knows? Perhaps it could have been the Queenslander and not the Tasmanian looking back in 2011 on a great Test career?
At the other end of the scale, the latest Test featured two new men in Clarke's team: seamer Trent Copeland and off-spinner Nathan Lyon. Ryan Harris may have eclipsed Copeland with the new ball, but Lyon claimed 5-34 in the first innings. Sangakkara was his first victim, a good one for the CV, before he wrapped up the Sri Lankan tail. Whilst in the second he took some treatment from Jayawardene and Mathews, he was the man who took the last wicket to fall, thus signalling Australia's first win in Asia for five years or so. That must give them a lot of confidence which had plummeted after the Ashes drubbing last winter.
But what about Lyon? Will he be a Ponting, or a Law? Ricky himself has expressed disquiet about the policy of selecting players for Tests with virtually no first-class experience, just a few useful performances in Twenty20 games. Lyon's career at South Australia began only six months ago so there does indeed seem to be a sense of desperation in Cricket Australia's picks. Michael Beer was just as inexperienced, albeit three years older, when he was catapulted into the side to face England at Sydney. After taking a solitary wicket, he was immediately dropped and I wonder whether he will be seen in a green baggy cap again. There will never be another Shane Warne but after making a useful start in a winning team, it is surely worth persevering with young Lyon and encouraging his development back at Adelaide in proper cricket, not just four-over containing spells of spin in the twenty-over thrashes.
