If Australia had a drawing board in their dressing room, there’s every chance it was smeared with chalk as they went back to it again and again on a grinding day in the field as Sri Lanka built a first innings lead of 67 on day three in Galle.
Very little worked for Pat Cummins as he tried plans ‘a’ through to at least ‘g’, whether it involved changing fields or bowlers, turning to part-time spinners or settling on bursts of pace.
Australia weren’t helped by a couple of missed stumpings by Alex Carey and it proved costly when they burned through their reviews and were left with no recourse when the DRS would otherwise have rewarded the bowlers’ toil.
And on the subject of burning, Nathan Lyon’s immense tally of 56 overs so far in this match could threaten to burn him out; at one point he hobbled off the field to receive treatment for cramp.
Lyon was just one player looking for guidance. The offspinner could be seen in sober conversation with head spin coach Daniel Vettori on the boundary several times throughout the day.
But even before play there were huddles between coach Andrew McDonald and the bowling attack, a full team huddle on the pitch, and plenty of seemingly deep and meaningful exchanges between Cummins and vice-captain Steve Smith.
But this was just one side of the equation. Sri Lanka forced the introspection by simply batting sensibly and taking few risks.
Dinesh Chandimal’s brilliant century — he was unbeaten on 118 at stumps — was the headline but the support was considerable.
Angelo Matthews and debutant Kamindu Mendis both scored fine half-centuries; when added to the innings of Dimuth Karunaratne (86) and Kusal Mendis (85) on the previous day, five of Sri Lanka’s batters have passed 50 in their first innings.
Sri Lanka have basically won every session in the past two days and, with two remaining and at 6 for 431 at the end of day 3, have given themselves every chance to put Australia’s batters under enormous pressure.
There were brief moments when Australia’s plans did work.
Nathan Lyon eventually triumphed in an engaging battle with Kusal Mendis in the morning when ball pitching well outside off stump jagged back and struck the batter’s front pad.
That was the only wicket to fall in a first session that saw Sri Lanka chip away at Australia’s lead.
But more costly to Australia was the two reviews wasted before lunch and they paid the penalty in the first over after the break when Mathews came down the pitch to Lyon and was rapped on the front pad; the replays showed Mathews would have been out if DRS had still been available.
Mathews was out soon after, an inside edge off Mitchell Starc ricocheting off his thigh for Marnus Labuschagne to take a sharp catch at short leg, but when Chandimal, on 30, edged Starc behind the damage was well and truly done.
Umpire Kumar Dharmasena kept his finger down despite Starc’s certainty and the sight of a clear spike as the ball past Chandimal’s bat will frustrate Australia’s brains trust.
There seemed to be some reluctance to bowl Mitchell Swepson but the legspinner enjoyed the rough when he was eventually brought on, outfoxing Kamindu with a ball that spun out of the footmarks and under the bat as Kamindu attempted a slog sweep.
Soon after, the indefatigable Lyon, who consistently created half-chances, was back again to claim perhaps the most straightforward wicket of the innings, when Niroshan Dickwella (5) charged down the track and skewed the ball to mid-on for Pat Cummins to take an easy catch.
In between times, Cummins turned to Travis Head and Labuschagne to bowl their part-time spin, but there was to be no repeat of Head’s surprising success in the first Test, in which he took four wickets and the burden will perhaps fall on Lyon to make the inroads Australia needs.
“It’s one thing to create a chance, next thing is to take it and unfortunately we didn't quite do that,” said Andrew McDonald after play.
“It wasn't easy to bowl out there and the way he controlled the tempo, created angles of attack and created chances was outstanding, along with his spin partner in Swepson.”
In all, Australia has used seven bowlers in this innings with frustratingly little reward. Much of the credit, of course, must go to Sri Lanka’s batters and Chandimal in particular.
And, if they are to have any chance of snatching an increasingly unlikely win, they will have to drag out the drawing board once more and chalk up plans ‘h’ and possibly all the way to ‘z’.
