GALLE, Sri Lanka — The first test match has taken a daunting turn for Sri Lanka as they found themselves struggling at 44-3 after Australia amassed their highest score in Asia, declaring at 654-6 on the second day. Battling fatigue after over five hours in the field under relentless heat, Sri Lanka’s batting lineup faced a tough challenge.

Oshada Fernando was the first to fall, dismissed for just 7 runs, trapped leg before wicket by Matthew Kuhnemann, which set a difficult tone for the evening. Neither former captains Dimuth Karunaratne nor Angelo Mathews had any better luck, both falling prey to Australia’s exceptional fielding efforts. Karunaratne also scored 7 runs before being dismissed via a spectacular catch at gully off Mitchell Starc, while Mathews fell to a sharp catch from Travis Head, offering a simple bat-pad opportunity to Nathan Lyon’s off-spin, also scoring 7.

As the sun began to set, Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis managed to navigate through some challenging moments. As play concluded for the day, Sri Lanka faced a daunting task, trailing by 610 runs with three days remaining, all on a pitch that was showing signs of deterioration.

Reflecting on the situation, Sri Lanka’s leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay remarked, “We are far too behind in the game at the moment. I don’t think there’s too much on the wicket. They executed clear strategies against all our spinners. Our priority now should be to close the gap on their total and not to focus on avoiding the follow-on.”

On the other hand, Australia started their day at 330-2, with opener Usman Khawaja and acting captain Steve Smith both having already reached centuries. Smith, who surpassed 10,000 Test runs on the first day, dominated with a magnificent innings of 141 from 251 deliveries. His partnership with Khawaja totaled 266 runs, marking the highest third-wicket partnership in Test matches between these two nations, surpassing the previous record of 200 set by Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn back in 2004.

After Smith’s dismissal, bowled by Vandersay, Khawaja remained unfazed, expertly rotating the strike and punishing any wayward deliveries. He ultimately achieved a brilliant double century and witnessed Josh Inglis become the 21st Australian to score a century on his debut. Khawaja’s innings of 232 comprised 352 balls, making him the first Australian to hit a double ton in Sri Lanka — also setting the record for Australia’s highest individual Test score against the island nation. At 38, he lies just behind the legendary Don Bradman as the second oldest Australian to reach a double century.

“Usman Khawaja showed remarkable patience and skill, and he was particularly proficient with the sweep shot,” Vandersay commented. “Josh Inglis also displayed a lot of intent, making it tough for us when they applied relentless pressure.”

Inglis quickly made his mark, racing to 100 runs off a mere 90 balls, the second-fastest century by a male debutant, just shy of India’s Shikhar Dhawan’s achievement in 2013. The aggressive batting style of Inglis combined beautifully with the tactical brilliance of Khawaja, producing a hallmark partnership of 146 runs for the fourth wicket, asserting Australia’s dominance over the match.

Inglis completed his innings with 102 runs off 94 balls before being caught edging behind off Jayasuriya. “I aimed to be proactive and keep the bowlers under pressure,” said Inglis. “If you end up on the defensive for a few balls, the next one is likely to be a good opportunity.”

Originally from England, Inglis has represented Australia in both one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches since 2022. He expressed gratitude toward his parents for relocating with him from Yorkshire to Perth in 2010. “Whenever we play against England, there’s always a light-hearted inquiry in the dressing room about which anthem I will sing. It’s all in good fun,” he added. “Where you’re born isn’t something you can control; it’s simply part of my journey.”

As Australia thrived on a favorable batting surface, conditions for the spinners began to show some potential for turn as day two concluded. Expectation looms over further deterioration in pitch quality, making survival increasingly challenging for Sri Lanka, especially with Australia fielding three specialist spinners.