Retiring champion Mike Hussey steered Australia to a five-wicket victory and a 3-0 series whitewash of Sri Lanka with his final knock in Test cricket.
Arriving at the crease with 37 runs required, ultimate professional Hussey carefully guided Australia to the target of 141 for the loss of five wickets with a chanceless 27 not out, like he’d done in Tests and one-dayers since debuting in the national team nine years ago.
Fittingly Hussey was in the middle when Mitchell Johnson (1no) hit the winning runs in the second over after tea – and was giving a rousing send off by the Sri Lankan team and an appreciative SCG crowd before hugging his Australian teammates who formed a guard of honour.
The 37-year-old even pulled out a party trick, performing a perfect reverse sweep for four off Sri Lankan dangerman Rangana Herath – perhaps the first of his Test career.
It capped off a nervy chase for the Australians who lost Phil Hughes (34), Michael Clarke (29), Ed Cowan (36) and first innings century-maker Matthew Wade (9) all in the middle session.
Hughes’ exit left Australia in a vulnerable position at 2-45, but a 59-run third-wicket partnership between Clarke and Cowan set Australia’s mission back on track before the pair fell within two overs of each other allowing Hussey to take the spotlight.
It was a chase that started in the worst possible fashion with opener David Warner caught at second slip off Suranga Lakmal for a golden duck – conjuring memories of Australia’s Fanie de Villiers-inspired collapse in their 1994 Test loss to South Africa when chasing just 117.
The twin destroyers for Sri Lanka were Herath (3-46) and part-time offspinner Tillakaratne Dilshan (1-57), both of whom gave Clarke’s men plenty of headaches on a wearing fourth day SCG wicket.
Tipped to be Australia’s biggest threat in the fourth innings, Herath continually bamboozled Australian pair Ed Cowan and Hughes and took just three overs to strike, grabbing his first scalp with a successful challenge of an lbw appeal against Hughes.
Australia’s best player of spin, captain Michael Clarke, split the field with a pinpoint cover drive to the boundary for his first scoring shot of the day.
Sri Lanka burnt their last remaining review in an attempt to remove the No.1-ranked batsman in the world who, on 13, danced down the wicket and was struck on the pad by Herath.
Clarke was given not out by umpire Tony Hill, and on review Hawkeye found the ball would’ve clipped leg stump – but not by enough to justify reversing the decision.
It was a slice of luck for Australia’s skipper, but the same had been afforded to Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal, who was seemingly out lbw to Jackson Bird (3-76) earlier in the day before going on to hit a brilliant unbeaten 62 as the visitors were bowled out for 278.
Powered by Chandimal’s brilliant knock, Sri Lanka added 53 runs to their overnight total, setting the tricky target.
Chandimal added 41 with No.11 Nuwan Pradeep, who survived 24 balls for his nine runs, after both Rangana Herath (10) and Lakmal (0) folded cheaply in the face of a fearsome spell from paceman Mitchell Johnson (3-34).
A tally of 10,505 fans turned out for Hussey’s final day heroics, taking the total for the Sydney Test to nearly 88,000.