Thursday 30 / January / 2025
Galle: A maiden double hundred by Usman Khawaja and terrific centuries from Steve Smith and Josh Inglis helped Australia end the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on a high, posting their highest-ever total in Asia at Galle on Wednesday.
At the end of the day's play, Sri Lanka was 44/3, with Dinesh Chandimal (9*) and Kamindu Mendis (13*) unbeaten in reply to Australia's 654/6 declared in the first innings. They trailed by 610 runs.
Australia started the day at 330/2, with Usman Khawaja (130*) and Steve Smith (104*) unbeaten on the crease.
Khawaja and Smith offered no respite to Sri Lankan bowlers, soon bringing up their 200-run partnership and Khawaja reaching 150 runs in 223 balls, with 10 fours and a six.
Nishan Peiris, Prabath Jayasuriya and Jeffrey Vandersay had no reply for the Australian dominance as they kept being hit for boundaries now and then. Australia reached the 400-run mark in 99.1 overs.
The 266-run partnership between Khawaja and Smith was undone by Vandersay, who trapped the batter leg-before-wicket for 141 in 251 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes. Australia was 401/3 in 99.5 overs.
Inglis, the Test debutant was on the crease next and got off the mark in Tests with a boundary against Vandersay on his first-ever ball. While Inglis piled on runs against spinners, Khawaja made history by reaching his first-ever double century in Tests in 290 balls, with 16 fours and a six.
Australia ended the first session at 475/3, with Khawaja (204*) and Inglis (44*) unbeaten.
In the second session, Inglis raised his bat for a fifty in 51 balls, with five fours.
Australia reached the 500-run mark in 118.5 overs and both batters had a century stand in just 116 balls.
Inglis was racing towards his maiden ton but Australia faced a setback in the form of Khawaja being dismissed for 232 in 352 balls, with 16 fours and a six. He was caught behind by Kusal Mendis on a Jayasuriya delivery. Australia was 547/4 in 128.3 overs.
Inglis became the 21st Australian to score a century on Test debut, in just 90 balls, with 10 fours and a six. However, an easy catch to Kamindu Mendis at covers on a Jayasuriya delivery brought an end to his 94-ball 102-run knock. Australia was 570/5 in 133 overs.
All-rounder Beau Webster and wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey were the fresh pair on the crease, taking Australia to the 600-run mark in 142.4 overs.
Webster lost his wicket to Vandersay after a 59-run stand, for 23 runs in 50 balls. Australia was 629/6 in 149.2 overs.
Australia declared their innings at 654/6, with Carey (46* in 69 balls, with a four) and Mitchell Starc (19* in 19 balls, with two fours and a six) unbeaten, breaching the score of 617 against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1980 to establish a new record of their highest total in Asia.
In the first innings of Sri Lanka, the hosts had a nightmarish start as they lost Oshada Fernando (7) leg-before-wicket to Matthew Kuhnemann, Dimuth Karunaratne (7) caught by Nathan McSweeney to Starc, who completed his 700 international wickets and Angelo Matthews to Lyon (8).
Kamindu and Chandimal made sure Sri Lanka finished the day without any further loss of wickets.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka: 44/3 (Kamindu Mendis 13*, Dinesh Chandimal 9*, Nathan Lyon 1/7) trail Australia: 654/6 declared (Usman Khawaja 232, Steve Smith 141, Jeffrey Vandersay 3/182) by 610 runs. (ANI)
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