Stumps
The umpires have officially called play off for the day. Only 22 overs were possible on day three, in which time Australia cemented their advantage by dismissing Kamindu Mendia and Dhananjaya de Silva.
Only the elements can stop Australia winning this game. The forecast, though not perfect, is better for the last two days. Sri Lanka will resume tomorrow on 136 for 5, still a whopping 518 runs behind. See you then.
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There is play at the MCG, where Australia have their foot on England’s throat. An historic whitewash will be completed over the weekend.
It sounds as if play will be abandoned for the day pretty soon. Very frustrating for all concerned but hopefully we’ll get more cricket on the last two days.
The forecast for the next two days is better, so Australia should still have time to take the 15 wickets they need for victory.
Urgh, it’s raining again and the covers have been put back on. The clouds look pretty malevolent and there’s a chance we might not see any more cricket today.
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Play to resume at 8.20pm AEDT
An early tea will be taken at 8pm AEDT, with a view to play starting at 8.20pm. Weather permitting, 48 overs will be bowled in an extended evening session.
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The covers are coming off
Good news from Galle. The weather is brighter and the umpires will assess the conditions shortly. The ground was very well covered so hopefully it won’t be long before play resumes.
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Play is about to resume in the pink-ball Test at the MCG. You can follow the final session with Jim Wallace.
Anyone for cricket?
Thanks Angus, evening everyone. There’s no immediate prospect of play so let’s indulge our inner geek and remember the 2003-04 series in Sri Lanka. I reckon it’s one of the great forgotten Test series. Australia won 3-0, so it looks routine, but that could barely be further from the truth. They were behind on first innings in every Test and had to work incredibly hard against Murali in particular.
It had a medium-term impact as well. Australia had really struggled on the subcontinent; this victory – against a Sri Lanka team who hardly ever lost at home around that time – empowered them and set up the historic win in India later in the year.
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Rob Smyth swears he isn’t crying, it’s just been raining on his face. As he dries off his dynamic blogging digits, I will hand over for what I hope is an action-packed finale to day three. Thanks for your company today and see you on the morrow!
Australia now lead England by 103 runs in the Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG, with Annabel going to the dinner break 135 not out and Beth Mooney unbeaten on 43.
England are really struggling out there, with a litany of embarrassing misfields compounding an insipid display with the bat and some wayward bowling.
Geoff Lemon certainly didn’t mince his words in yesterday’s column…
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The bad news from Galle (for Australian fans, anyway) is it’s still raining.
The good news (for Sri Lankan fans) is the meteorology gurus in Galle are saying these showers will be “intermittent” and we’ll have “mostly cloudy” conditions ahead.
Pat Cummins’ Australian team face many challenges in 2025 – the World Test Championship against South Africa in June for starters – but none more important than the home 2025-26 Ashes series which unfolds thus:
First Test 21–25 November 2025, Perth Stadium
Second Test 4–8 December, The Gabba, Brisbane
Third Test 17–21 December, Adelaide Oval
Fourth Test 26–30 December, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Fifth Test 4–8 January 2026, Sydney Cricket Ground
James Wallace reckons he saw the future of English cricket in Brisbane last week in the form of Rocky Flintoff. At 16 years and 291 days old, Flintoff Jr – son of lionhearted allrounder Andrew – became the youngest player to score a hundred for England Lions with a dashing display from the lower order against a Cricket Australia XI.
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As rain continues to fall in Galle, the sun is shining in Melbourne and Australia’s women are making hay. None more than Annabel Sutherland…
Annabel Sutherland loves Test cricket 😍
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 31, 2025
The hometown star brings up another century in whites with a boundary @hcltech #PlayoftheDay #Ashes pic.twitter.com/AmiXHkDIiQ
Annabel Sutherland has notched a wonderful Test century against England at the MCG. She is already No 9 on the list of Australia’s all-time run-scorers and is still just 23-years-old. Sutherland scored her maiden Test ton in the 2023 Ashes at Trent Bridge and in 2024 walloped an epic 210 against South Africa at the WACA. She then took five wickets!
Here’s a taste of the stroke-play that rocketed Annabel to Test ton number three…
A long, straight six for Sutherland! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/13jp6m1DIL
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 31, 2025
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When the rain falls in Galle, it’s time for beers, cheers and tears at the 2024 Allan Border medal when Mitchell Marsh claimed the big one then gave this incredible speech.
Grim news in Galle: the covers are still on the centre square and the drizzle continues so we may have a delay to the second session. Stay tuned…
Better news from the MCG: Annabel Sutherland is on 99 in the Women’s Ashes Test… quickly tune in!
Here's why play has not resumed for the second session in Galle #SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/hXjg3RVh3b
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 31, 2025
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Did you catch Josh Inglis’s 102 on debut innings yesterday? The English-born Inglis became the 21st Australian cricketer to score a century in his debut Test and the 16th to achieve the feat in the first innings. Here’s how the man under baggy green No 470 summed up the dream come true.
Things couldn't really have gone much better for Josh Inglis in his debut Test so far! #SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/oiyrur8cK5
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 31, 2025
In breaking news, a back issue has forced Mitchell Marsh – the reigning Allan Border medallist – out of the ICC Champions Trophy ODI tournament in Pakistan and the UAE starting on February 19.
The injury is the deterioration of a back complaint Marsh battled during the home summer and is another blow for the popular 33-year-old allrounder known as The Bison.
Having been dropped for the final Test against India and replaced by Beau Webster, then left home for this tour of Sri Lanka, Marsh is now in doubt to take his place with Indian Premier League franchise Lucknow Supergiants, after they paid $623,000 for him at the auction in November. His ICC captaincy ambitions are also up in smoke.
“Mitchell Marsh’s lower back pain flared in recent weeks leading the NSP to make the longer term decision for Marsh to complete a more extended period of rehabilitation,” Cricket Australia have said. “He will now undergo a period of further rest and rehabilitation as part of his return to play plan.”
Given Pat Cummins is on parental leave and no certainty to play the ICC Champions Trophy and Marsh is now sidelined, that leaves Steve Smith or Travis Head as captaincy candidates. Who would you go with?
🚨 Mitch Marsh has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy with a back issue
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 31, 2025
More: https://t.co/tRDaUSHYrX pic.twitter.com/ozuXcLYctT
It’s a good time to crossover to the Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG. Australia have just tiptoed past England’s 170 and Annabel Sutherland (76) and Alyssa Healy (34) are now busily building a lead. Join Martin Pegan for the action.
Aussies have levelled the scores in the first innings and they still have eight wickets in hand #Ashes
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 31, 2025
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LUNCH: Sri Lanka 136-5 (Chandimal 63 not out, Kuhnemann 2-48)
This rain shower will mean an early lunch here in Galle.
It brings down the curtain on what was the most even session of the Test so far. Australia took two important top-order wickets but Sri Lanka also peeled off 92 runs with measured aggression and positive intent. They still trail by 518 runs.
However, with Dinesh Chandimal, the saviour of 2022, still out there on 63 not out, Sri Lanka have a shred of hope. If the highly-capable Kulal Mendis can hang tough with him for another session or two, the weather may yet save Sri Lanka with a draw.
Matthew Kuhnemann and Mitchell Starc bagged the two wickets to fall. Starc’s wicket came from a bad ball that Kamindu Mendis (15) chased down leg side and unluckily edged. Kuhnemann’s scalp came from a rash shot by captain Dhananjaya de Silva after the drinks break. But it doesn’t matter how the wickets fall so long as they do.
Time to wet the whistle and bolster the belly. See you in halfa!
42nd over: Sri Lanka 136-5 (Chandimal 63, Mendis 10) The Sri Lankan batters trade singles from Lyon as light rain starts falling at Galle. Dan Shearer has emailed in to remind me that Mendis’s first Test century was the famous 176 against Australia at Pallekele in 2016 - a match-winning and, ultimately, a series-defining knock. Because none of his teammates score more than 55 in the game, it has gone down in history as one of the greatest ever Sri Lankan innings. Can Kusal repeat the feat here?
That rain ain’t abating and it looks like we’re off for an early lunch.
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41st over: Sri Lanka 134-5 (Chandimal 62, Mendis 9) Mendis goes BIG! Murphy tossed it down shorter and wider and the 29-year-old got down on one knee and slog swept it over the rope for SIX. Great shot and it brings a glimmer of hope. Mendis is a 70 Test veteran with 10 Test centuries to his name so if he can stick with Chaminda there’s hope for Sri Lanka. That said, they still trail by 519 runs.
40th over: Sri Lanka 128-5 (Chandimal 62, Mendis 3) Nathan Lyon starts his 14th over with 1-40 and immediately finds sharp spin. Mendis retreats at this in-dipper and digs it out of his naval. Will he try to replicate Chandimal’s successful tactic of reverse sweeping Lyon? He sweeps a single instead. We have a shout on the final ball. Not a big appeal and umpire shakes his head but, given Carey’s quicksilver gloves, Smith thinks there’s a chance of a stumping. There isn’t. Chandimal’s foot is firmly planted.
39th over: Sri Lanka 127-5 (Chandimal 62, Mendis 2) Kuhnemann delivers five dots before Chandimal’s patience snaps. He skips back and swats the final delivery through cover for a sweetly-timed FOUR.
38th over: Sri Lanka 123-5 (Chandimal 58, Mendis 2) Chandimal charges Murphy! The result is a well timed four that splits the fielders and races to the mid off boundary. Murphy rips one out of ther rough in response, darting it back and causing Chandimal to flinch. His edge flies for a run but it’s a lucky one.
37th over: Sri Lanka 118-5 (Chandimal 53, Mendis 2) Kuhnemann starts his 12th over with 2-43. He also has two slips in place in Smith and Beau Webster. The Sri Lankans trade three singles as the screws turn. Still no sign of Usman Khawaja in the field today. Perhaps Smith has given his double-centurion the day off?
36th over: Sri Lanka 115-5 (Chandimal 51, Mendis 1) Murphy is in a nice groove now. He’s finding the footmarks and the volume behind the stumps is rising in excitement. His third ball slides on and beats Chandimal’s bat by a millimetre. The last nips back. Good bowling. Just one run from the over. Sri Lanka trail by 539 runs.
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35th over: Sri Lanka 114-5 (Chandimal 50, Mendis 1) Edged… but safe! That dab through slip brings up fifty for Dinesh Chandimal. His half-century – the 31st of his 87-Test career – came from 91 balls. Kuhnemann finds a bit of bounce and zip to beat the bat on the final two. Great over.
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34th over: Sri Lanka 113-5 (Chandimal 49, Mendis 1) New batter is Kusal Mendis and he watches as Chandimal survives a huge shout for lbw. Todd Murphy, still smarting after being spanked for consecutive boundaries in his last over, zipped that through faster. It landed full on off stump, and jagged back to middle where it hit Chandimal’s front pad. Big shout but Smith shakes his head. No review, and just as well: Murphy has overstepped and it’s a no-ball. Chandimal celebrates by sweeping Murphy over midwicket for a boundary.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 106-5 (Chandimal 45, Mendis 0) Kuhnemann cashes in on Dhananjaya de Silva’s rush of blood to the head. The captain and Chandimal had built the first significant partnership of the innings but a drinks break has sparked an impetuous decision and Australia are now into Sri Lanka’s bottom half.
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WICKET! De Silva st. Carey b Kuhnemann 22 (Sri Lanka 107-5)
De Silva is stumped! A rash shot by Sri Lanka’s captain after the drinks break. He leapt out of his crease to spank Kuhnemann out of the ground but the Queensland leftie saw him coming and jagged it out of reach. Carey had the bails off in a flash!
32nd over: Sri Lanka 106-4 (Chandimal 44, de Silva 22) Here’s Todd Murphy. The bespectacled off-spinner from Echuca on the Murray River only got the one over yesterday (a maiden). He starts today from around the wicket. Chandimal drives a run. This is Murphy’s seventh Test. He debuted after just seven first-class matches for Victoria and was a bold choice for the 2022-23 tour of India. A seven-wicket haul in Nagpur put paid to the critics though. De Silva certainly likes what he sees of the 24-year-old. He pounds back to back boundaries from the final deliveries, the first a superb cover drive, the second a thrash through extra cover.
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31st over: Sri Lanka 95-4 (Chandimal 42, de Silva 13) Kuhnemann returns for an eighth over, seemingly recovered from that fractured and dislocated thumb injury he suffered a few weeks ago. De Silva takes him for a clipped a single through midwicket and Chandimal drives to long off to retain strike. Sri Lanka now trail by 559.
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30th over: Sri Lanka 93-4 (Chandimal 41, De Silva 12) Reverse swept to the rope! Now Chandimal gets in on the counterattack, taking on Lyon and winning. The GOAT mixes up the next two, sends them through faster, flatter. Chandimal defends them before flinching weirdly at the final delivery and punching it fine for a single.
29th over: Sri Lanka 87-4 (Chandimal 36, De Silva 11) Swept for FOUR! Great shot by De Silva. He swatted at the previous ball and missed but hasd the courage to double down and try again. Kuhnemann knew an attack was coming and dropped it short and Sri Lanka’s captain duly went into a crouch and belted him square to the boundary.
28th over: Sri Lanka 81-4 (Chandimal 36, De Silva 5) At the venue where he took a five-for on debut 12 years ago, Lyon continues to befuddle the Sri Lankans. The ball is now spinning noticeably more than on day two and Lyon has this pair pinned in the crease. They eke two singles, neither from a convincing stroke.
27th over: Sri Lanka 79-4 (Chandimal 35, De Silva 4) Kuhnemann delivers a maiden as De Silva recovers from an appeal on the second ball – a bottom edge saves him – and defends the rest.
26th over: Sri Lanka 79-4 (Chandimal 35, De Silva 4) Lyon enters his 11th over with 1-31. This is the old man from Young’s 135th Test and his dismissal of Angelo Mathews last night gave him 540 Test wickets. A 23-year-old Lyon made his debut here 12 years ago wearing a lot of hair and although the locks have been lost, the legend has grown and the GOAT always has a ball in Galle. De Silva tries three reverse sweeps in this over and none work.
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25th over: Sri Lanka 78-4 (Chandimal 35, De Silva 3) The Big Kuhnemann is on. The Queensland leftie opened the bowling with Starc yesterday and rewarded captain Smith’s faith by picking up the wicket of Oshada Fernando in his first over. Today’s start isn’t as smooth. Finding a ball drifting too wide outside off, De Silva opens the face late to dab it past slip and run three. Good chasing by Todd Murphy at third man saves four.
24th over: Sri Lanka 73-4 (Chandimal 33, De Silva 0) With a little dance and a lot of power, Chandimal skips out and on drives Lyon to the boundary. Good batting. Sri Lanka are in a hole but they must attack and score runs to dig themselves toward a draw. It won’t be easy though. Lyon is in the zone and responds to that lashing with five probing dot balls.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 69-4 (Chandimal 29, De Silva 0) Ouch! Chandimal'’s attempt to pull Starc off his hip has backfired painfully. He was too slow through the shot and it has cannoned into the exposed area between the hip and the rib cage. Chandimal calls for the medic straight away. Magic spray. Magic sponge. Magic gum. He takes anything he can get. Restored, he faces up again, bravely ducking and swinging a short ball off the helmet badge and getting it square for a single.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 68-4 (Chandimal 28, De Silva 0) Chandimal’s single means De Silva gets his first look at Nathan Lyon today. He’s wary of what he sees which is sharp turn out of that rough patch outside off. De Silva is in his 62nd Test and has 12 centuries at an average of 40 so he knows a trap when he sees one.
21st over: Sri Lanka 67-4 (Chandimal 26, De Silva 0) New batter is Sri Lanka’s captain Dhananjaya de Silva. He plays out the over safely as Sri Lanka try to build a partnership of substance to scale this Australian Everest. As Starc celebrates his second wicket, his partner Alyssa Healy has just walked to the wicket at the MCG, replacing Phoebe Litchfield who has been dismissed by Lauren Bell to leave Australia 99-2.
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WICKET! Mendis c Carey b Starc 15 (Sri Lanka 67-4)
Starc strikes! That’s a big wicket on day three as Mendis goes cheaply (for him). It was a lucky wicket for the big wuick. He sprayed it down the leg-side and Mendis chased it and unfortunately caught the edge. Carey pouched the chance with ease.
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20th over: Sri Lanka 66-3 (Chandimal 26, Mendis 15) Usman Khawaja didn’t field yesterday due to cramp. Fair enough too after he batted 503 minutes and 352 balls. Instead Nathan McSweeney was sent in his stead and took a superb juggling catch in the gully to dismiss Dimuth Karunaratne for 7. McSweeney is back out there this morning as Ussie guzzles pickle juice in the shade of the dressing-rooms. Three singles from this Lyon over as Sri Lanka’s batters stay busy.
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19th over: Sri Lanka 63-3 (Chandimal 24, Mendis 14) Mendis plays an aggressive angled bat to Starc but can’t get past the man at gully. He tries to drive the third but it sprays off the inside edge. Good to see an aggressive approach from the Sri Lankans this morning. Chandimal and Mendis are brilliant batters, highly capable of big runs on home pitches and have each compiled their highest Test scores at Galle so why not? A Chandimal single and a leg bye in this over means Sri Lanka are now only 591 behind.
18th over: Sri Lanka 61-3 (Chandimal 23, Mendis 14) Nathan Lyon is fizzing his off spinners into the rough left by Mitchell Starc’s big hooves. Second ball falls short of that golden rough and Chandimal pulls it for a boundary. Lyon’s riposte is brilliant. Chandimal is drawn forward to a floater and gets a thick edge. It should be safely scooped up by first slip but Smith is standing wider than usual and it flies past his left hand and runs for four. Lyon puts his hands to his head, tearing out invisible hair. He recovers to rip another past the edge. Chandimal recovers too, reverse sweeping the final ball for four. 12 from the over!
17th over: Sri Lanka 47-3 (Chandimal 9, Mendis 14) Mitchell Starc opens Australia’s attack from the other end. Straight away he slides a sweet nut past Mendis’s edge. Wry grins from batter and bowler. Beautiful bowling at 144kph. Starc is wearing long inner sleeves under his shirt today, perhaps a birthday present for turning 35 yesterday? Starc is full and focused on that channel outside off. Mendis survives but can’t score.
16th over: Sri Lanka 47-3 (Chandimal 9, Mendis 14) Mendis shucks off the rust with a little dab through square leg. Chandimal’s first attempt at a run is much dicier as Lyon tosses one down outside off and finds steep bounce. It leaps past the batter’s throat and goes over Alex Carey’s helmet. We are away!
Players are on the field and Nathan Lyon is at the top of his mark awaiting Kamindu Mendis, a man with five centuries and four fifties from his last 10 Tests! Let’s go…
Don’t forget the Women’s Ashes Test is happening at the MCG, with Australia looking good. Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland are in the midst of a 76-run partnership and Australia are cruising at 93-1 in pursuit of England’s 170.
Martin Pegan has out live coverage bubbling here…
Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal will resume Sri Lanka’s innings today unbeaten on 13 and 9 respectively. For the home side, their torment in the final session was slightly alleviated by rain, hence the start time of 3.21pm AEST today.
There is more rain predicted for the afternoon but so far things look clear for play to begin on time.
For those who came in late, here’s a report on day two…
Preamble
Greetings sports fans! Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of day three in this first Test between Australian and Sri Lanka at Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Australia are bossing this Test match. An Usman Khawaja double-century 232, Steve Smith’s 141 and Josh Inglis’s 102 on debut have set Sri Lanka the mountainous total of 654 (dec) – a new Australian record for Tests played in Asia. Sent in for an hour in the final session, Sri Lanka collapsed to 44-3!
Can the home side conjure a miracle and pull this Test out of the fire? They still have Dinesh Chandimal at the crease – his glorious double-century in 2022 led Sri Lanka to a comeback victory and a squared series. And his current partner Kamindu Mendis is no slouch either, having scored 1000+ Test runs last year at an average nudging 75.
But the road to another 610 runs and parity is long, winding and steep. It is also deadly, with Australia’s triple-threat spin cartel of Nathan Lyon (1-7), Matthew Kuhnemann (1-26) and Todd Murphy already developing an appetite for destruction.
Play starts at the traditional time of 3.21pm so batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up. We’ll have action under way soon.
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