The Sri Lankan cricket team found themselves in a challenging position on the third day of the second Test match against Australia at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. Morning rain disrupted play, forcing an early lunch declaration, with Sri Lanka losing five wickets and trailing by a massive 518 runs. Unfortunately, the entire afternoon session was washed out due to persistent rain.
Australia had earlier declared their first innings at 654 for 6, and in response, Sri Lanka began the third day at 44 for 3. Despite a promising start, including an early missed opportunity by Nathan Lyon to dismiss Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka struggled to build momentum. Mitchell Starc, on the other hand, consistently troubled the batsmen, eventually claiming a crucial wicket with a well-directed bouncer.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Chandimal managed to steady the innings, adding valuable runs and taking Sri Lanka past the 100-run mark. However, soon after the break, de Silva was stumped off Matthew Kuhnemann while attempting an aggressive shot. Chandimal, meanwhile, reached his 31st Test half-century, showcasing his experience and resilience. Despite his efforts, continuous rain forced the players off the field, bringing an early end to the day’s play.
At stumps, Sri Lanka stood at 136 for 5, with Chandimal unbeaten on 63. Mitchell Starc and Matthew Kuhnemann were the pick of the Australian bowlers, claiming two wickets each. Earlier in the match, Usman Khawaja (232), Steve Smith (141), and Josh Inglis (102) had starred for Australia, while Praveen Jayawickrama and Jeffrey Vandersay took three wickets apiece for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka now faces the daunting task of avoiding the follow-on, trailing Australia by 518 runs. The team will need a collective effort from the remaining batsmen, with experienced players like Chandimal playing a pivotal role. The pitch, which has shown significant turn and bounce, will continue to challenge the batsmen, especially against Australia’s disciplined bowling attack.
With the weather improving, the evening session is expected to resume, and Sri Lanka will aim to bat with patience and determination. The team’s ability to handle the pressure and negotiate the turning track will be crucial in determining the outcome of the match.
Australia 1st Innings
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usman Khawaja | c †BKG Mendis b Jayasuriya | 232 | 352 | 503 | 16 | 1 | 65.90 | ||
| Travis Head | c Chandimal b Jayasuriya | 57 | 40 | 58 | 10 | 1 | 142.50 | ||
| Marnus Labuschagne | c de Silva b Vandersay | 20 | 50 | 52 | 2 | 0 | 40.00 | ||
| Steven Smith (c) | lbw b Vandersay | 141 | 251 | 263 | 12 | 2 | 56.17 | ||
| Josh Inglis | c PHKD Mendis b Jayasuriya | 102 | 94 | 146 | 10 | 1 | 108.51 | ||
| Alex Carey † | not out | 46 | 69 | 116 | 1 | 0 | 66.66 | ||
| Beau Webster | c PHKD Mendis b Vandersay | 23 | 50 | 73 | 1 | 0 | 46.00 | ||
| Mitchell Starc | not out | 19 | 19 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 100.00 | ||
| Extras | (b 2, lb 11, nb 1) | 14 | |||||||
| Total | 154 Ov (RR: 4.24) | 654/6d | |||||||
| Did not bat: Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy | |||||||||
| Fall of wickets: 1-92 (Travis Head, 14.3 ov), 2-135 (Marnus Labuschagne, 29.6 ov), 3-401 (Steven Smith, 99.5 ov), 4-547 (Usman Khawaja, 128.3 ov), 5-570 (Josh Inglis, 132.6 ov), 6-629 (Beau Webster, 149.2 ov) • DRS | |||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 15 | 1 | 77 | 0 | 5.13 | 0 | 1 |
| Nishan Peiris | 41 | 1 | 189 | 0 | 4.60 | 0 | 0 |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | 60 | 8 | 193 | 3 | 3.21 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffrey Vandersay | 38 | 0 | 182 | 3 | 4.78 | 0 | 0 |
Sri Lanka 1st Innings
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshada Fernando | lbw b Kuhnemann | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 70.00 | |||
| Dimuth Karunaratne | c sub (NA McSweeney) b Starc | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 53.84 | |||
| Dinesh Chandimal | not out | 63 | 115 | 9 | 0 | 54.78 | |||
| Angelo Mathews | c Head b Lyon | 7 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 38.88 | |||
| Kamindu Mendis | c †Carey b Starc | 15 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 39.47 | |||
| Dhananjaya de Silva (c) | st †Carey b Kuhnemann | 22 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 64.70 | |||
| Kusal Mendis † | not out | 10 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 40.00 | |||
| Extras | (lb 4, nb 1) | 5 | |||||||
| Total | 42 Ov (RR: 3.23) | 136/5 | |||||||
| Yet to bat: Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando | |||||||||
| Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Oshada Fernando, 1.6 ov), 2-15 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 4.2 ov), 3-30 (Angelo Mathews, 9.3 ov), 4-67 (Kamindu Mendis, 20.3 ov), 5-107 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 32.3 ov) • DRS | |||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 8 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1.62 | 0 | 0 |
| Matthew Kuhnemann | 13 | 2 | 48 | 2 | 3.69 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathan Lyon | 15 | 2 | 43 | 1 | 2.86 | 0 | 0 |
| Todd Murphy | 6 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 4.66 | 0 | 1 |