Aussies inflicted mental scars: Hazlewood

It look little more than two hours of bowling destruction at Pallekele Stadium for Australia to inflict some mental scars on the Sri Lankan batsmen, according to fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.

The home side were skittled for just 117 after captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and sent the Aussies in to field on what should have been a gruelling start to the series fielding in the Sri Lankan heat.

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Reports on Monday suggested Sri Lanka would have been demoralised by the sight of the International Cricket Council Test Mace presentation taking place at the Pallekele ground on series eve, but the detrimental effect of a simple trophy exchange surely had nothing on the procession of players making their way up and down the stairs that lead to the pavilion here on the outskirts of Kandy.

While the first Test remains far from over, particularly with the weather likely to play a key role throughout the week, Hazlewood hopes his fellow bowlers have uncovered some cracks in the Sri Lankan top order.

"I hope so," Hazlewood said when asked if mental demons crept in this morning.

"We don’t know too much about these guys. We haven’t played them a lot, especially our bowlers.

"We’ve worked out a few little things here and there in that innings, so we’ll look to keep on top of them with those plans throughout the whole series."

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While Australia’s quicks will almost certainly face the prospect of spinning tracks in Galle and Colombo for the next two Tests, Hazlewood hopes the damage has already been done.

"Anything you can get on the opposition is crucial," the boy from Bendemeer told media after play.

"If you can get it straight up on the first morning of a Test series and get on top of a few of their top order batters, it does open up some scars for the back end of the tour on some not-so-friendly wickets for us quicks."

The decision to play the opening Test in Kandy – considered to be more favourable to the seamers than most pitches on the subcontinent – may have raised eyebrows in the Sri Lankan camp, but Hazlewood was more than happy to be handed the ball as he unleashed a spell of unrelenting consistency just outside off stump to finish with 3-21 from his 10 overs.

"A few of the guys who were here in the last series mentioned if the quicks are going to get anything out of (these pitches), it’s going to be this Test," Hazlewood explained. "Especially with the new ball.

"I think we made the most of that and hopefully we do that again in the second innings."

The other great benefit for Australia to come out of today’s batting capitulation was the minimal strain placed on each of the bowlers.

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New-ball duo Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood bowled just 11 and 10 overs respectively, while Mitch Marsh’s services weren’t even required as wickets tumbled with increasing regularity.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon had barely loosened up by the time he walked from the field with three wickets in as many overs.

Barring a marathon second innings from Angelo Mathews and his men, Australia will now head in to the more challenging bowling conditions with a near-fresh attack ready for the grind that is often associated with this part of the world.

"Hopefully we enjoyed that as much as we could," Hazlewood said of the pitch that bordered on seam friendly in the morning session.

"The next two wickets are probably going to suit the spinners and Colombo being quite flat, it’s going to be hard work.

"We trained on some flat wickets in Colombo when we got here and tried a few different things here and there.

"We’re as prepared as we can be."