Michael Tesera interview during vs Australia Only Test at Kandy in April 1983

Mr. Devotor

Transcript

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.

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