Dimuth taken to hospital after hit, Lanka lag behind

Canberra, February 2 

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne was stretchered off in a neck brace after being hit by a bouncer as Sri Lanka chased a massive Australian first innings total built on the back of three centuries.

In overcast conditions, the home team resumed Day 2 of the second Test in Canberra on 384/4 and extended their lead to a massive 534/5 when skipper Tim Paine declared.

At stumps, Sri Lanka were 123/3 in reply with Kusal Perera on 11 and Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 1.

Playing in his 58th Test, Karunaratne was unbeaten 46 when a rising Pat Cummins ball appeared to glance off his shoulder and onto his helmet, close to the neck area. He slumped to the ground, dropping his bat as Australian players ran to assist. A doctor and physio sprinted on to the ground and called for more medics and after some 10 minutes, he was put on a stretcher and taken off the field on a golf buggy.

Cricket Australia said he complained of pain in the neck and tingling to the hands and was taken to hospital to be assessed. It clearly unsettled Thirimanne who fell to spinner Nathan Lyon for 41 in the next over, caught by Usman Khawaja at slip. Cummins then clean-bowled Kusal Mendis for six and when captain Dinesh Chandimal gloved a Starc ball to Paine behind the stumps for 15, the tourists were in trouble.

Brief Scores: Aus: 534/5 decl (Burns 180, Head 161, Patterson 114*; Vishwa 3/126); SL: 123/3 (D Karunaratne 46, L Thirimanne 41, Kusal 11*, Dhananjaya 1*). — Reuters