GALLE: Sri Lanka were Sunday searching for solutions to their batting
woes after Australia hammered them by 125 runs in the first cricket Test
in GalleThe hosts lost on a dusty wicket, apparently
tailor-made for their spinners, on Saturday after being shot out for 105
in the first innings in reply to Australia's 273.Sri Lanka
managed 253 in their second knock on in the back of a classy century
from Mahela Jayawardene and 95 from young Angelo Mathews, but the target
of 379 never looked like being surpassed.They have now gone
nine Tests without a win since the retirement of world bowling record
holder Muttiah Muralitharan in July last year, but it is the batting
that is causing the main worry.In Cardiff in May, Sri Lanka
were all out for 82 in just 24.4 overs, losing to England by an innings
in a Test match that had been destined for a draw.Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan admitted batting failures had let the team down in recent months.Dilshan's
carefree approach to batting at the top of the order contributed to his
side's defeat, but the captain said he will never change his aggressive
style.In the first innings, Dilshan drove debutant Trent
Copeland's first delivery to the cover fence for a boundary -- but he
was caught off the second delivery when he attempted a similar stroke.When Sri Lanka batted a second time, Dilshan played a few loose shots before he was bowled by Ryan Harris for 12.Except
for Jayawardene and Mathews in the second innings, none of the Sri
Lankan batsmen were able to Australia's spot-on bowling on the crumbling
wicket.The seasoned Kumar Sangakkara fell for 10 and 12, while the usually prolific Thilan Samaraweera managed only 26 and 0.Dilshan said he hopes his team-mates will have learnt a lesson for the second Test which starts in Pallekele on Thursday.
