Ponting praises Lee

Brett Lee © Getty Images

Australia captain Ricky Ponting hailed Brett Lee's growing maturity after the paceman bowled the hosts to a 96-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test.

Lee took four wickets in each of the Sri Lankan innings as Australia wrapped up a 2-0 series triumph in Hobart.

Set 507 runs to win, the tourists were always up against it and, despite a magnificent 192 from Kumar Sangakkara, were eventually dismissed for 410.

Lee was the focal point of the Australia attack and earned words of praise from his skipper afterwards.

Ponting said: "The more you play the smarter you become and the more you understand what you have to do to be successful and that is where it is with Brett at the moment.

"He knows if he bowls enough balls in the right area and uses his skills - which are great pace, a great bouncer and some good outswingers with the new ball - then he will keep the batsman under pressure and give himself the best chance of taking wickets.

"That is what Glenn McGrath did over the years - he didn't do anything special, he just got the ball in the right area and took away a batsman's scoring shots and built enough pressure to force the batsman to play a bad shot."

Although happy with his display, Lee played down comparisons with the now retired McGrath.

"They are massive shoes to fill," he said.

"I will never try to fill Glenn's shoes - we are different bowlers and all I can do is try and lead the Australian attack as best as I possibly can.

Ricky Ponting has been impressed with Lee

"I was really happy with my own personal performance and happy with the way the ball came out but credit to the batsmen for putting big scores on the board in the first innings in both Test matches.

"That gave us the chance to go out there and bowl the way we want to bowl."

Sri Lanka's chances of victory suffered a major blow early on when Sanath Jayasuriya edged a Lee delivery to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist.

Sangakkara stood firm, spraying the ball around the Bellerive Oval, but the constant flow of wickets at the other end meant it always looked as though he was fighting a losing battle.

The 30-year-old was finally dismissed in controversial circumstances just before lunch - given out when a Stuart Clark short ball clipped his shoulder and helmet on its way to Ponting.

Tailenders Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan enjoyed a brief slog before the end came when Lee bowled Muralitharan with a good-length ball.

"I am very disappointed," said visiting skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

"I feel we have a good team and a good bowling attack but we were not consistent.

"Sangakkara was excellent but unfortunately the guys could not do anything (to help him).

"The way Sangakkara got out upset him. But that's the way it goes."

Umpire Rudi Koertzen later apologised for Sangakkara's dismissal.

"Rudi came and said sorry to him," added Jayawardene. "Kumar, being Kumar, was fine with it.

"He was very disappointed at the time but when you sit back after half an hour, you know it's a mistake made by a human and that's it."