GALLE, Sri Lanka — On the third day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka, Australia delivered a masterful performance, leaving the home team struggling at 211-8 and maintaining a slender lead of 54 runs on Saturday.
As they prepare for the fourth day, the Australian team aims to wrap up Sri Lanka’s innings swiftly and pursue the target set before them, hoping to secure a series victory with a 2-0 sweep.
At one point, with the score at 81-4, it appeared Sri Lanka was headed for another significant defeat within three days. However, Angelo Mathews fought valiantly, forming a 48-run partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva, followed by an impressive 70-run alliance with Kusal Mendis.
Mathews struck a determined 76, marking his first half-century in the series and providing a flicker of hope for the Sri Lankan side. The team relied heavily on his performance to set a competitive target for Australia, but his innings concluded just before the end of the day when he fell attempting a sweep off Nathan Lyon, only to be stunningly caught by Beau Webster at fine leg.
Australia maintained the pressure, claiming two more wickets before the day’s play concluded. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann emerged as the key player, taking four wickets and elevating his match tally to seven. He was ably backed up by Lyon, who secured three wickets and demonstrated impressive control on a deteriorating pitch.
Lyon, at 37 years old, reached a significant milestone by collecting his 550th test wicket with the dismissal of Dinesh Chandimal after lunch, becoming only the third Australian bowler to accomplish this feat, following in the footsteps of legends Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563).
In a poignant moment, former captain Dimuth Karunaratne, playing his final test match, received an emotional standing ovation as he walked back to the pavilion after edging a delivery to wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the 13th over. Kuhnemann, sharing the new ball duties with Mitchell Starc, was instrumental in dismissing both Sri Lankan openers, setting the stage for Australia’s dominance.
Australia built a formidable first-innings lead of 157 runs, primarily thanks to two outstanding centuries from Steve Smith, who scored 131, and Alex Carey, who achieved a personal best of 156. Carey’s impressive innings not only marked a milestone in his career but also set a record for the highest score by an Australian wicketkeeper in Asia, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Adam Gilchrist.
The duo’s remarkable 249-run partnership for the fourth wicket not only proved crucial for Australia but also established a new record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership by a visiting pair in Sri Lanka, overtaking the prior record of 248 held by Australians Mike Hussey and Shaun Marsh.
Previously, Sri Lanka endured a devastating defeat in the first Test by an innings and 242 runs, marking their most significant loss in the history of test cricket.
