Aussies peg back Sri Lanka](BBC SPORT | Cricket | Aussies peg back Sri Lanka)
**First Test, Darwin, day one: Australia 207; Sri Lanka 43-3 (at close) **
Australia hit back strongly after being bowled out for 207 on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Glenn McGrath marked his first Test match for 11 months with two wickets as the tourists slumped to 43-3 at the close in Darwin.
Chaminda Vaas was the star performer earlier in the day, taking 5-31 as Australia lost their last seven wickets for 30 runs.
Darren Lehmann top scored for the home side with 57, including seven fours.
Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu opted to field after winning the toss, a decision which looked dubious as the home side cruised to 72-0.
But Upul Chandana caught Justin Langer at backward square leg off the bowling of part-time spinner Thilan Samaraweera and Matthew Elliott followed for a single when he edged Vaas to second slip.
Elliott was playing his first Test in more than five years after being called up to replace Ricky Ponting, who is missing the match following a death in his family.
Australia were 80-3 soon after lunch when Matthew Hayden sliced a ball from Vaas to Sanath Jayasuriya at gully after making 37.
It was left to Lehmann and Damien Martyn to rebuild the innings and they did so in relative comfort, putting on 97 in 24 overs and collecting 12 boundaries between them.
Malinga marked his debut with two vital wickets
Their partnership came to an end off the last ball before the tea interval as Martyn failed to control an attempted cut Jayasuriya’s off left-arm spin and was caught by Russel Arnold at point for 47.
Australia’s decline following the resumption was startling as the last six wickets went down for 18 runs in the space of 12 overs.
Debutant Lasith Malinga claimed a notable double success when he trapped Lehmann lbw and three balls later had Australian captain Adam Gilchrist caught behind for a duck.
Shane Warne was run out for two and Vaas removed Simon Katich, the home side’s last recognised batsman, for nine before adding the last two wickets for his eight five-wicket haul in Tests.
McGrath wasted no time in denting Sri Lanka’s confidence as they began their reply, bowling Atapattu for four in the third over.
And the seam bowler, now recovered following ankle surgery, enjoyed further success when Jayasuriya was adjudged lbw for eight.
It took McGrath’s career total to 432 wickets, lifting him above Sir Richard Hadlee and into fifth place on the all-time list.
Sandwiched between his double was the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara, who made an unbeaten 203 in the warm-up game against a Northern Territory XI.
This time he struggled for 17 balls to make two before he was pinned in front by Jason Gillespie, who as a result became the 11th Australian to reach 200 Test wickets.
Sri Lanka eventually decided to send out a night-watchman and Nuwan Zoysa did his job, surviving to the close to make eight not out, with partner Mahela Jayawardene on 12.
Australia: Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Matthew Elliott, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist (captain), Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath. Stuart MacGill (12th man).
Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Russel Arnold, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Lasith Malinga. Rangana Herath (12th man).
Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) Aleem Dar (PAK)
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