Australia’s Usman Khawaja leaves the ground after losing his wicket during day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
Sri Lanka was staring down the barrel at 44-3 after Australia achieved its largest ever total in Asia — 654-6 declared — on day two of the first test on Thursday.
Fatigued after spending five and a half sessions fielding under the scorching sun, Sri Lanka’s batting resistance was minimal.
Oshada Fernando was the first to fall for 7, trapped leg before by Matthew Kuhnemann, setting the tone for a challenging evening.
Former captains Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews didn’t last long either, both victims of Australia’s exceptional fielding.
Karunaratne fell on 7 to a spectacular catch at gully off Mitchell Starc, and Mathews was dismissed for 7 in stunning fashion — caught by Travis Head from bat-pad to Nathan Lyon’s off-spin.
Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis weathered some testing moments to reach stumps as Sri Lanka remain precariously placed at 610 runs down with three days to go on a deteriorating pitch.
“We are far too behind in the game at the moment,” Sri Lanka leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay said. “I don’t think there’s too much on the wicket. They had clear plans against all our spinners. The important thing is to get closer to their total. We should not focus on reaching the follow-on.” Australia resumed the day on 330-2 with opener Usman Khawaja and stand-in captain Steve Smith already on centuries.
Smith, who passed 10,000 test runs on day one, pushed on to a masterful 141 off 251 balls. His 266-run stand with Khawaja stands as the highest third-wicket partnership in tests between the teams.
They eclipsed the previous best stand of 200 between Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn in Kandy in 2004.
After Smith was trapped leg before by Vandersay, Khawaja remained unruffled, rotating the strike superbly and punishing loose deliveries with precision. He went on to his maiden double century and Josh Inglis became the 21st Australian to score a century on debut.
Khawaja’s eight-hour-plus knock of 232 off 352 balls was historic — the first Australian to score a double hundred in Sri Lanka. His is Australia’s highest individual test score against Sri Lanka. At 38, he’s second only to Don Bradman to score a double century for Australia. Khawaja edged behind to slow left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya.
“Usman Khawaja was patient and waited for the loose balls and swept so well,” Vandersay said. “Josh Inglis showed lot of intent as well and it’s tough to contain when they are stepping out of the crease and putting us under pressure.” Inglis wasted no time asserting himself, taking on the bowlers and racing to his century off just 90 deliveries, the second fastest for a men’s debut. India’s Shikhar Dhawan took 85 balls in 2013 against Australia. Inglis’ attacking approach, combined with Khawaja’s measured brilliance, combined for 146 runs for the fourth wicket, cementing Australia’s dominance.
Inglis made 102 off 94 balls, also edging Jayasuriya behind.
“I tried to be proactive and put bowlers under pressure,” Inglis said. “If you are stuck for three to four balls, the next ball will probably have your name in it.”
The England-born Inglis has played for Australia in one-day internationals and Twenty20s since 2022, and said he owed his parents a lot for moving from Yorkshire to Perth in 2010.
“Whenever we play England, everyone in the dressing room is asking what anthem I am going to sing. It’s a good one,” he said. “You can’t choose where you were born. It’s part of my story.”
While Australia made merry on a placid surface, signs of turn emerged late on day two, offering a glimmer of hope for the spinners. The pitch is expected to deteriorate further, making survival increasingly difficult – especially with Australia boasting three specialist spinners.
Published – January 31, 2025 02:02 am IST
