Colombo: Australia crushed hosts Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the first test of the two-match series in Galle. It was a clinical performance from the visiting Australian side, who got the job done even before lunch on Day 3.
TEAM NEWS: Despite Australia’s long list of players on the treatment table, they managed to put out the same XI that won in Pakistan. Steve Smith made a return to the side after missing the ODI series, while Travis Head has recovered from a hamstring injury which means that Glenn Maxwell will have to wait form his Test recall. There was talk of bringing left-arm spinner Jon Holland into the playing XI in place of Swepson but an injury to the former’s bowling finger meant that the leg-spinner kept his place. Starc got the nod ahead of Josh Hazlewood to partner Cummins in the fast bowling department. Sri Lanka have plenty of experience in the batting department with the likes of Matthews, Chandimal and skipper Karunaratne. The hosts went in with just one fast bowler in Asitha Fernando and four spinners. Jeffrey Vandersay made his debut for Sri Lanka.
Srilanka tried its best but lost
Sri Lanka won a crucial toss and decided to bat first, understandably, on a Galle pitch that had cracks opening up on the first day itself. Day 1 was supposed to be the best time to bat on this wicket but it did not work out that way for the Sri Lankan batsmen, who were bundled out for 212 in their first innings. Cummins and Starc opened the bowling and probed both edges of the Sri Lankan openers, who looked uncomfortable facing balls outside off-stump. Cummins' relentlessness eventually brought the outside edge to dismiss Nissanka, while Starc removed Kusal Mendis. Nathan Lyon’s very first delivery hit a crack and ballooned off the pitch and hit Carey on his helmet.
Karunaratne never looked comfortable facing Lyon from round the wicket and eventually edged one to Warner at second slip. Swepson then landed a double blow to the Sri Lankans by dismissing Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal in successive deliveries, leaving the hosts at 97/5. Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella stitched up a good partnership for the 6th wicket. While the former trusted his defence more, the latter came out with a positive intent and attacked the Australian bowlers. Just as the partnership was threatening, Lyon sent back Mathews to dent the host’s; progress. Dickwella continued to play his shots and stitched up another crucial partnership with Ramesh Mendis. Mendis was dismissed by Lyon after the partnership crossed 50 and Sri Lanka’s innings did not last long as they were bundled out for just 212 inside a day. Dickwella finished with 58 runs, while Lyon picked up 5 wickets.
Australia 1st innings – Khawaja and Green take Australia to 321 David Warner came all guns blazing at the top and smashed a couple of boundaries before being trapped lbw by Ramesh Mendis for 25. Marnus Labuschagne continued his poor form as he got out poorly and was caught at point, playing a reverse-sweep against Mendis. Steve Smith was sold down the river by Khawaja, while Head gave a return catch to de Silva, leaving Australia at 100/4. Green came out with a clear plan of getting to the pitch of the ball and negating the spin using his long reach. Khawaja looked solid at the other end and the scoreboard kept ticking. The left-hander was dismissed for 71 by Vandersay, who got his first test wicket. Carey tried to sweep every ball and looked to score runs quickly. Both Green and Carey pounced on every bad ball by the Sri Lankan spinners and the partnership reached 80 in no time. Ramesh Mendis dismissed both set batsmen for 45 and 77 as Australia’s lead grew. Cummins produced some lusty blows at the end to take Australia to 321.
Sri Lanka 2nd innings – Sri Lanka fold for 113
Sri Lanka’s second innings was almost a train wreck as none of their batsmen went past 25 in the 2nd innings. They looked to be positive and tried to play the sweep shot a lot like the Australians but were not successful against Lyon. Nathan Lyon took four wickets in the innings as he broke the back of the hosts’ top order once again. Part-timer Travis Head came on and claimed an astonishing 4-fer as well, which put the icing on the cake. Sri Lanka were all out for just 113 in 22.5 overs, setting a target of 5 runs for the Australians. Warner finished off the chase in the first over by hitting a four and a six. Green was given the Man of the Match award for his crucial 77. The 22.5 overs Sri Lanka batted in the 2nd innings were the lowest in their history, while this is Australia’s first test win in Sri Lanka while batting second.
