Usman Khawaja's sensational double century which was well complimented with Josh Inglis' superb century helped Australia declare their innings at 654/6 on Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Later, Australia bowlers further compounded Sri Lanka's woes by causing their batting collapse to leave them teetering at 44/3 when the stumps were drawn.
Australia dominate Sri Lanka in first Test
Usman Khawaja's maiden Test double century, combined with brilliant centuries from Steve Smith and Josh Inglis, gave Australia complete control of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Day 2 witnessed a dominant display by the Australians, who not only posted their highest-ever total in Asia but also managed to grab three crucial Sri Lankan wickets before the close of play.
Mitchell Starc, along with the spin duo of Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon, each claimed a wicket, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 44/3 at stumps on Day 2. Prior to the bowlers' onslaught, the Sri Lankan team had toiled for a grueling 154 overs to dismiss the prolific Australian batsmen.
Usman Khawaja dazzles with double century
Usman Khawaja's double century was a landmark achievement in his career. He batted patiently for nearly seven and a half hours, scoring a magnificent 232 runs off 352 balls, adorned with 16 fours and a six. Khawaja found excellent support in Steve Smith, who scored 141, and later in debutant Josh Inglis, who contributed a valuable 102. Their combined efforts enabled Australia to reach a formidable total of 654/6 declared.
Steve Smith, having become the 15th player and fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs on Day 1, continued his impressive performance, crafting a masterful 141 runs off 251 balls. His partnership with Usman Khawaja proved to be record-breaking. Their 266-run stand for the third wicket is now the highest such partnership in Tests between Australia and Sri Lanka. It surpassed the previous record of 200 runs set by Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn in Kandy in 2004.
Australia's strong batting performance extended beyond the top order. Contributions from the middle and lower-middle order, including Alex Carey (46*), Beau Webster (23), and Mitchell Starc (19*), further bolstered the visitors' total, pushing them towards a daunting score. Facing a challenging total and with just over an hour of play remaining on Day 2, Sri Lanka batters struggled in Galle. Fatigue, likely from spending nearly two full days fielding under the sun, seemed to take its toll. The Sri Lankan batsmen offered little resistance, failing to build any momentum. Matthew Kuhnemann's off-spin proved effective, trapping Oshada Fernando leg before wicket for 7. The ball pitched on the leg stump and spun away from the right-hander, striking him on the middle stump. Sri Lanka's woes deepened with the quick dismissals of their former captains. Dimuth Karunaratne was out for 7, caught spectacularly at gully off a Mitchell Starc delivery. Angelo Mathews also departed for 7, dismissed in a stunning manner – caught off bat-pad to Nathan Lyon's off-spin. Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis managed to survive some challenging moments and reached stumps, but Sri Lanka remain in a precarious position.