The day began with hats off to Tony Greig and ended with hats off to Lahiru Thirimanne.

Black armbands, a minute’s silence and a familiar sun hat draped on the stumps helped form the SCG’s tribute to Greig, the TV commentator and former England captain who died last weekend.

But day one of the third Test against Sri Lanka was also a celebration of new cricketing life.

What a shame Thirimanne threw away his chance of a maiden Test century with one rash stroke.

But his impressive top score of 91 showed a willingness to fight amid the grimmest of adversity.

Aiming to prevent a 3-0 whitewash, and decimated by injuries, the Sri Lankans were sent in on a green-tinged wicket to face Australia’s first four-pronged pace attack at the SCG in almost 60 years.

Thirimanne, who made his Test debut just seven months ago, had a mere two days to acclimatise in Australia, arriving belatedly as a replacement after Mitchell Johnson sent two Sri Lankan batsmen to hospital in Melbourne.

The 23-year-old had a lbw decision overturned on appeal off the first ball he faced, and survived a dropped catch on 65.

He had a century in sight when he mistimed a cover drive off spinner Nathan Lyon and fell to a superb diving catch by Dave Warner.

Sri Lanka would have finished in a much-stronger position had several of Thirimanne’s teammates not made similarly unnecessary swats.

They surrendered five wickets for 51 at one stage before limping home to be all out for 294 as Jackson Bird bagged four wickets and Mitchell Starc three.