Fireman Herath rescues Sri Lanka from the pits, again……….

There was a hole at the SSC.

This is not the foot-hole in the bowling crease, which Australia bowlers had reported to be so deep, that by now, Mitchell Starc should able to travel through it to Rio, to watch brother Brandon compete in the high-jump.

This hole was merely figurative. (Though, again, this is not a jibe at Sri Lanka Cricket administrators’ travel-and-expenses account.)

No, this was the kind of hole that Sri Lanka have routinely found themselves in Tests over the past year; the kind of hole from which they have not often lately recovered. The kind of hole from which, on this occasion, only their best player could haul them out.

Australia were skipping along gaily, at 267 for 1, only 88 runs behind. Soon they had lost a wicket, but were nevertheless still skipping – a triple-figure first-innings lead in their sight.

Then along came Rangana Herath. Think of him here as a fireman – probably in an oversized kit and a hat that falls off – sending a rope ladder down to teammates wallowing in the pit. With six for 81 in this innings, the rescue was almost single-handed. With the last four wickets falling for 26 runs, the salvage operation took surprisingly little time.

This 25th five-for of Herath’s career is all the more remarkable, for his having been hit on the box on day two. This is the kind of injury that Sri Lankan men of his age would take several weeks off work for. It is the kind of complaint that would see them sullenly recovering in front of the TV, a drink in hand and ice-pack at the crotch; making whimpering grunts when rising from the settee; forming pathetic pained faces when wives came in with bowls of soup.

Herath though – a hobble now added to his usual waddle – was seen warming up again in the outfield only an hour after the blow had been received. He was bowling at Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh before day’s end.

In the morning, on day three, he was pivoting very gingerly at the crease, but got through his overs cheaply, even if his balls did not quite have their usual shape. By the evening though, when perhaps the pain had eased a little, the flight and subtlety returned, as did the dip and bite. All through this innings, Herath’s willpower triumphed over his groin, and folks as diverse as Tiger Woods and Bill Clinton may say there is no more heroic victory for a man than that.

“Rangana’s got some pain in the groin as a result of the blow, and it’s quite a challenge for the physio at the moment,” coach Graham Ford said after play. “But I can’t say enough about the bloke. I was joking in the dressing room and saying he’s my all-time sporting hero. He’s gone ahead of Roger Federer.”

This may seem like hyperbole, but let us consider the facts. Federer may have had to do battle with Rafael Nadal for his titles, and lately Novak Djokovic. But has Federer ever had to contend with Sri Lanka’s selectors, whose first response to any uncertainty, for a while, was to drop Herath from the team? Usain Bolt may be part of the reigning Olympic relay team, but has he ever had to race with teammates as useless at holding batons, as Herath’s teammates often are with catches?

“He’s injured and he’s bowling on one leg,” Ford said. “He’s just got so much guts and fight. For an older guy to do that it – ignites the fight within the younger group. After his nasty incident batting, he makes some brilliant diving stops in the dirt off his own bowling. If you’ve got the old man throwing himself around like that, the youngsters have no excuse.”

Australia finished only 24 runs ahead in the first innings, and Sri Lanka now find themselves only two runs behind. They will set themselves up nicely for a whitewash with 250 more. But if the top order fails again, Herath may find himself needing to rescue Sri Lanka from another hole, with bat and ball.

It is possibly Josh Hazlewood feels guilty for Herath’s injury, but he shouldn’t bother. It is Herath’s teammates that kick the old man in the gonads most of all.