Australia held the upper hand for most of the opening day of the Galle Test as Sri Lankan middle-order collapse left the home team struggling. At stumps, Sri Lanka were precariously positioned at 224/9 riding on Dinesh Chandimal scoring 71 and Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 59. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc were the key wicket-takers for Australia, each taking three wicket each.
Australia on driver's seat against Sri Lanka in 2nd Test
Sri Lanka choosing to bat first, saw their openers, Dimuth Karunaratne (playing his 100th and final Test) and Pathum Nissanka, cautiously add 19 runs in the first seven overs against the Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Matt Kuhnemann. Nissanka, in particular, looked uncomfortable against Kuhnemann, prompting Steve Smith to introduce Nathan Lyon into the attack. The veteran spinner struck quickly, dismissing Nissanka with just four deliveries, capitalising on a rash sweep shot. Despite the early loss, the experienced pair of Karunaratne and Chandimal steadied the innings, with Karunaratne even taking the attack to Kuhnemann with a six and a four in the 17th over. As the ball aged and the dust clouds grew larger, Australia tightened their grip, but the Sri Lankan pair managed to navigate the challenging conditions and reached lunch at 87/1.
Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc keep Sri Lankan batters in check
The lunch break proved to be the catalyst Australia needed. Just fifteen deliveries into the second session, Nathan Lyon showcased his masterful variations in pace, deceiving and bowling Karunaratne for a well-earned 36. The following six overs yielded a mere three runs as the pressure intensified, culminating in Angelo Mathews edging a wide delivery from Lyon, ending his 26-ball struggle for a single run. Kamindu Mendis showed some promise with a quick 13 runs off 21 balls, but his stay was short-lived, as Travis Head's "golden arm" induced a catch at first slip. Two balls later, a tentative drive by captain Dhananjaya de Silva off Starc compounded Sri Lanka's woes, leaving them reeling at 127/5, even as Chandimal reached his half-century at the other end. With the older ball and Starc generating prodigious reverse swing in a devastating spell, Chandimal and Kusal Mendis dug in to prevent further damage before tea. However, much like the morning session, the break once again disrupted Sri Lanka's progress.
Chandimal attempted a forward defensive shot against Kuhnemann with just 14 balls into the third session, , but the ball spun and bounced past his bat. Alex Carey swiftly removed the bails with Chandimal still off-balance and out of his crease. The Mendis duo, Kusal and Ramesh, finally stemmed the flow of wickets, putting together a crucial 65-run partnership that pushed Sri Lanka past 200 and into a more competitive position. However, the availability of the new ball brought Starc back into the attack, and he quickly accelerated the end of the innings, dismissing both Ramesh and Prabath Jaysuriya with consecutive deliveries that were edged behind. Recognizing the need for quick runs, Kusal Mendis took charge, smashing two authoritative boundaries to reach his fifty. After Kuhnemann removed Nishan Peiris, Lahiru Kumara bravely survived 12 deliveries, ensuring the Sri Lankan innings remained alive at Day 1 stumps.