GALLE: Sri Lanka grabbed two early wickets but Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja steadied the ship as Australia reached 85-2 at lunch on day two of the second Test in Galle on Friday.
Smith and Khawaja stitched together an unbroken 48-run stand for the third wicket in the visitors’ reply to Sri Lanka’s 257 all out. Khawaja, who hammered a maiden double hundred in the first Test, was on 34 while Smith reached 23.
Lahiru Kumara had just two overs with the new ball before Sri Lanka unleashed their four-pronged spin attack, turning the screws on the Australian batters.
Off-spinner Nishan Peiris, wicketless as the hosts were well beaten in the first Test, made an immediate impact this time, sending Travis Head packing in his second over for 21.
The left-hander danced down the track, attempting to loft one over the bowler’s head but only managed a thick edge to Dhananjaya de Silva at first slip.
Sri Lanka struck again in the next over with Prabath Jayasuriya trapping Marnus Labuschagne plumb in front for four after a successful review by the hosts.
Sri Lanka, resuming on Friday from their overnight score of 229-9, were all out for 257 aided by a gutsy effort from Kusal Mendis, unbeaten on 85.
Australia dominate as Sri Lanka reach 229-9 in second Test
His knock, laced with 10 fours and a six, is now the highest score by a Sri Lankan in the series.
Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann each took three wickets for the tourists.
The visitors have already put the Warne-Murali Trophy beyond Sri Lanka’s reach, having taken an unassailable 1-0 lead with a crushing victory in the first Test.
The innings and 242-run humiliation stands as Sri Lanka’s worst defeat in Test history.
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