GALLE, Sri Lanka — Usman Khawaja continued to demonstrate his prowess as Australia’s top batsman in Asian conditions, having just scored a double century in the opening test. On Day 2 of the second test against Sri Lanka, he guided the team past a challenging start to reach 85-2 at lunch.

Khawaja was not out on 34 at the break, accompanied by Steve Smith, who contributed 23 runs, while Australia trailed Sri Lanka by 172 runs.

The experienced 38-year-old, participating in his 80th Test match, displayed remarkable batting skills in the previous week, achieving his maiden double hundred. Once again, he faced the spin bowlers with confidence, showing little discomfort against Sri Lanka’s slow bowling attack, which had early success in dismissing Travis Head (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (4).

Having started at a shaky 37 for two, Australia found stability as Khawaja and Smith formed an unbeaten partnership, scoring 48 runs for the third wicket and appearing comfortable heading into lunch.

While Smith had moments of uncertainty, Khawaja exuded calm. His batting technique was solid as he played with soft hands, skillfully moved his feet, and effectively utilized the reverse sweep.

Given the sharp turn on the pitch, Australia is in need of a substantial innings from their in-form opener to take control of the match.

Earlier, Sri Lanka completed their innings at 257 after starting their day with a score of 229-9. Kusal Mendis was the standout performer for the home side, finishing with a commendable score of 85 not out, but he ultimately ran out of partners as Lahiru Kumara (2) fell victim to Matt Kuhnemann, who secured his third wicket in the innings.