David Warner caught in horrible moment as Aussies win first Test
Australia may have thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the first Test in Galle on Friday, but it wasn't all happy days for the tourists.
David Warner was involved in a freak moment as the Aussie bowlers ripped through the Sri Lankan order, struck in the groin by a flying bail.
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After Travis Head claimed his third wicket by bowling Jeffrey Vandersay through the gate, a bail flew off the stumps and struck Warner at leg slip.
Replays showed the bail striking Warner right in the groin, with the Aussie opener immediately collapsing to the ground in pain.
Warner tweeted a video of the incident on Twitter, writing: "Oh dear, well bowled Heady but my Jatz cracker."
Oh dear, well bowled Heady but my Jatz cracker 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ https://t.co/PEr3WbFYnJ
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) July 1, 2022
Fans were also left in disbelief over the freak mishap.
I think Warner has copped a bail in the knackers when Head bowled Vandersay … pic.twitter.com/vO1cCssCx5
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) July 1, 2022
The slow-mo of Warner getting hit is brilliant 😂#SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/VUQH2BmaIH
— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) July 1, 2022
Just because everyone's Friday morning needs to see David Warner getting a bail in the nutspic.twitter.com/SdOtpAL8YD
— Brett Mendoza💙 (@BrettMendoza_) July 1, 2022
Bowled through the gate and Warner copping a bail in the nuts from the same delivery - cricket might have peaked in this moment #SLvAUS https://t.co/GDVHEkY3dW
— The Top Order Podcast (@Toporderpod) July 1, 2022
David Warner misheard the instruction as the bail clipping the balls.
— Beth watches cricket (@FirstDropBeth) July 1, 2022
Warner getting hit in the nuts by a bail.. all time comedy, beaten only by the pathetic batting and umpiring by the Lankans..... #SLvAUS
— Nathan (@nathanjsmith86) July 1, 2022
Nathan Lyon and Travis Head spin Australia to victory
Head and Nathan Lyon spun Australia to their fastest Test victory in 20 years, claiming eight wickets between them as Sri Lanka were rolled for 113 in their seconds innings.
On a dominant day for Australia, Lyon and Head took four wickets each as the tourists required just 22.5 overs to dismiss Sri Lanka.
Warner then knocked off the fourth-innings target of five runs in four balls, as Australia began celebrating before lunch on day three.
The win came in just 153.2 overs for the entire Test match - Australia's fastest since they demolished Pakistan in Sharjah in 2002 and their sixth quickest of all time.
So rapidly did the victory happen, captain Pat Cummins didn't even bowl in the second innings, with spinners taking all 10 scalps.
"It's happened a lot quicker than we thought," Cummins said.
"When you're bowling you want things to happen quickly like that, as opposed to in the past we've been the batting side (in that situation).
"You've got to be on the front foot here.
"You've got to be scoring runs, ticking over the scoring rate because if you're not moving anywhere here you're pretty vulnerable."
Australia were comprehensively beaten when they last visited Galle in 2016, spun out for 106 and 183 as Rangana Herath claimed a hat-trick.
But the tourists look a side with far more intent this time, finding a way to unsettle an inexperienced Sri Lankan bowling attack and run through their batters.
The victory also marked Australia's biggest win in Asia when forced to bowl first in 16 years.
After not winning a series in Asia in 10 years, Australia could now pull off two in the space of four months with a win in the second Test in Galle starting on Friday.
"It's been a big one for us, just embracing everything about it," Cummins said.
"In the past you can get caught up in conditions that aren't like Australia.
"But if you want to be the No.1 Test team in the world you have to be winning overseas.
"It's in everyone, the experienced guys finding new shots, (Mitchell) Starc working on reverse swing, Gaz (Lyon) coming up with a few new balls.
"There is so much appetite to learn and to be successful on these wickets which, as a captain, couldn't be more pleasing."
with AAP
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