Stumps: Australia lead by 73 runs
80th over: Australia 330-3 (Smith 120, Carey 139) Carey tucks Kumara’s final delivery off the pads for four to complete a marvellous day for Australia, who will surely wrap up a 2-0 series victory over the weekend – possibly tomorrow.
They looked in a bit of bother at 91 for 3, with the ball doing plenty and Sri Lanka’s spinners appealing for everything. Steve Smith and Alex Carey changed the momentum with the minimum of fuss and then batted for the rest of the day. Their fourth-wicket partnership is 239 from 51.1 overs.
Smith and Carey put the clinic in clinical, wearing Sri Lanka down and giving a lesson in how to dominate on a turning pitch. Smith did as he pleased in the afternoon session before tiring a little in the evening; Carey, promoted to No5 because of Josh Inglis’s back spasms, took up the reins and sped to his second Test hundred.
Sri Lanka had no answer to Carey’s sweeping, reverse and orthodox, and he thumped some lovely boundaries down the ground as well. Smith reviewed successfully after being given out LBW on 23. Even by that stage he was batting so well that a 36th Test century, and his fourth in the last five games, looked likely if not inevitable.
It’s hard to know what else to say. Two superb players, one an all-time great, played with oodles of intelligence and skill to break the spirit of a decent but limited team who expected to dominate on a fairly typical Galle track. The word is overused these days, not least by me, but that partnership really was a masterclass.
We’ll have a match report shortly, and I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon for the start of day three. The new ball is due, which should make the ball spit even more. Once this partnership is broken, expect the game to move pretty fast.
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79th over: Australia 324-3 (Smith 120, Carey 133) Jayasuriya bowls his final over of an increasingly miserable day. Smith is beaten by the kind of jaffa that will have Matt Kuhnemann grinning from ear to ear; it exploded from middle stump and beat the bat comfortably.
78th over: Australia 321-3 (Smith 119, Carey 131) It’s 74 days since Australia were thrashed by India in Perth and the country went into meltdown. Feels forever ago. Their response could barely have been more admirable, or emphatic. If this match unfolds as we expect they’ll have won five out of six Tests since Perth, and the other one was a rain-affected day that they dominated.
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77th over: Australia 318-3 (Smith 118, Carey 129) By playing so well on the first two days after losing the toss, Australia have made their first Test performance look even better. Batting first helped but they completely outplayed Sri Lanka, as they’re doing here.
Theer’s an argument – only an argument, don’t abuse me – that this is their most impressive performance in a series on the subcontinent since the wins in Sri Lanka and India in 2004. On balance I’d probably rate India away in 2016-17 more highly, even though they last the series, but it’s a decent debate and us nerds need those like oxygen.
76th over: Australia 316-3 (Smith 117, Carey 128) Lahiru Kumara, whose work today has consisted of two two-over spells, is given a burst before the close. He has two men on the drive for Carey but nobody who can stop a beautifully timed cover drive racing away for four more. Carey has batted like a world-class No5 today.
75th over: Australia 312-3 (Smith 117, Carey 124) Carey top-edges a reverse sweep off Jayasuriya, with the ball landing safely on the off side. These two have been at the crease for 50 overs, Smith even longer, and there have been one or two understandable signs of fatigue in the last half hour. Smith’s main focus is getting through to the close; he’s hit only one boundary in this session.
Five overs to go.
74th over: Australia 308-3 (Smith 115, Carey 123) The video of this partnership should be sent to any young batter preparing for a tour of the subcontinent. Sod it, to any batter of any age. Almost everything – placement, managing risk, reading length, the range of sweeps – has been immaculate.
Ramesh Mendis returns and beats Carey with a gorgeous delivery that curves in and spits away. Australia will not mind that one iota now that they have a decent lead.
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73rd over: Australia 304-3 (Smith 111, Carey 121) Jayasuriya moves around the wicket and beats Smith with an unplayable delivery. “Which begs the question why he was bowling over the wicket for so long to Steve Smith,” says Simon Katich on Sky. “The only way to slow Steve Smith down is to knock him over. Sri Lanka are paying for that passage of play now.”
“While making comparisons with The Don,” says Rowan Sweeney, “I’m wondering whether Smith’s average while wearing the Baggy Green (literally speaking) would be higher than Bradman’s?”
Statsguru is good, but it’s not so good you can search for that. Shame you can’t have non-cricket filters; I’d love to see, for example, Garry Sobers’ batting average when he’d been out the night before. It was probably higher than when he stayed in.
72nd over: Australia 300-3 (Smith 110, Carey 119) Carey drives Peiris sweetly for four to bring up the 200 partnership, then carts him back over his head for a one-bounce four. What started as a supporting role is fast becoming the innings of Carey’s life.
71st over: Australia 290-3 (Smith 1079 Carey 110) Carey moves ahead of Smith with a thumping straight six off Jayasuriya. Since tea he has scored 61 of the 92 runs off the bat.
Nine overs to bowl tonight – and until the second new ball is available. It can’t come soon enough for Sri Lanka.
70th over: Australia 280-3 (Smith 106, Carey 103) Carey survives a run-out referral after being sent back by Smith; he was comfortably home.
“Smith and Dravid both have exactly 36 Test hundreds and 12 in ODIs, totalling 48,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Sachin’s 100 (51+49) looks as unbeatable as the 99.94.”
You say that but I’ve been working on my reverse sweep lately and that could be a gamechanger.
Alex Carey's second Test hundred!
69th over: Australia 276-3 (Smith 104, Carey 101) Carey sweeps the new bowler Jayasuriya twice for four to reach a fabulous hundred from just 118 balls. It’s been a masterclass in sweeping, orthodox and reverse, and his second fifty came at exactly a run a ball. Carey may never have batted better than in the past 12 months and he fully deserves the reward of a second Test century.
68th over: Australia 267-3 (Smith 104, Carey 92) This has been a textbook example of a good team having their spirit crushed by a great opponent. If you could measure positivity of body language, Sri Lanka’s would have been gently trending downwards since around the 30th over.
Smith, who is turning to look a bit tired, doesn’t connect properly with a sweep and is hit on the pad. Sri Lanka go up but there’s no way Dhananjaya can risk the last review on that; there might have been an under edge and it was probably outside the line anyway.
Replays confirm there was plenty of bat involved. But Smith is starting to look tired and almost offers a return catch off the last ball of the over. Peiris was very slow to crouch down, though the ball may not have carried anyway.
Edit: yep, replays show it would have bounced short regardless.
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67th over: Australia 267-3 (Smith 104, Carey 92) Ramesh Mendis changes ends to replace Kamindu, who bowled a generous spell of 3-0-18-0 to continue a disappointing personal series. It’s fascinating how a change of momentum can make a pitch look comfortably different. This morning it was fizzing everywhere; now Australia’s batters seem to have an age to play each stroke.
66th over: Australia 264-3 (Smith 102, Carey 91) Peiris replaces Ramesh Mendis. and is swept for two by Carey, who moves into the nineties as a result. It would have been four by for an excellent stop by the substitute Samarawickrama at deep backward square.
“Rob,” says Eamonn Maloney. “The name ‘Big Ange’ is proprietary limited where reporting on Australia-related sport is concerned dontcherknow.”
I’ve just checked Wikipedia and apparently his nicknames are Angie, Superman and Jocka. Not sure about Angelo Matthews though, honk.
65th over: Australia 260-3 (Smith 101, Carey 88) A chair is brought on for Smith to rest during the drinks break. He and Carey have collected runs so serenely that it’s easy to forget how sweltering it is in Galle.
A rank bad ball from Kamindu is despatched for four by Carey, which takes Australia into the lead. Carey is hurrying towards his century; maybe he has decided to get as many runs as possible before the humidity gets him.
Drinks: Australia trail by 3 runs
64th over: Australia 251-3 (Smith 101, Carey 79) That’s also Smith’s 17th Test hundred as captain. He averages 69.64 when in charge, second only to Don Bradman among those with at least 10 innings.
“G’day Rob,” says Chris Paraskevas. “Been battling the local heat today and at various points my concentration waned, despite the shades completely closed, air-con and zero movement off my c̶o̶u̶c̶h̶ chair/couch (save for trips to the fridge for Peanut M&Ms).
“While I’m struggling with Shane Warne Cricket 99’ under strict climate control conditions, Steve Smith is in Galle making it look so easy. Some people are not of this world.”
As an England fan, the sheer certainty of his batting in this series is evoking traumatic memories of the 2019 Ashes.
Steve Smith's 36th Test century!!
63rd over: Australia 248-3 (Smith 100, Carey 77) Steve Smith carts Kamindu Mendis through midwicket for four to reach a brilliant century from 191 balls. He’s been in total control, busily solving whatever problems the pitch and the bowlers presented. It’s his 36th hundred in Tests, taking him level with Joe Root and Rahul Dravid, and his fourth in the last five matches.
62nd over: Australia 240-3 (Smith 95, Carey 74) Carey sweeps Ramesh very fine for four, with Big Ange wheezing after the ball from short fine leg. Sri Lanka look ready to call it a day; they still have 19 overs to bowl before stumps.
61st over: Australia 233-3 (Smith 93, Carey 69) Kamindu Mendis comes on for the first time in the series. He can bowl with either arm but is sending down right-arm offspin for now; two runs from a pretty accurate first over.
60th over: Australia 231-3 (Smith 92, Carey 68) Smith biffs a single down the ground to move within eight of his 36th Test hundred.
Smith is not out! In fact there was a scrape on the bat so we didn’t even get to ball-tracking. Sri Lanka are down to their last review.
Sri Lanka review for LBW against Smith!
Ramesh Mendis implores the umpire to give Smith out when he misses a reverse sweep. He declines so Dhananjaya goes upstairs. I think it’s missing leg, umpire’s call at best/worst.
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59th over: Australia 230-3 (Smith 91, Carey 68) Smith moves into the nineties in another over of low-risk accumulation. Both batters have been so busy, putting pressure on Sri Lanka through boundaries and singles alike. Sri Lanka probably went on the defensive too early; even so, you have to be good enough to take advantage.
58th over: Australia 226-3 (Smith 89, Carey 66) Ramesh Mendis replaces Jayasuriya, who was very flat during a spell of 6-1-24-0 either side of tea. He goes up for LBW when Smith pushes defensively and is beaten on the inside; a lovely delivery but the impact was outside the line.
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57th over: Australia 223-3 (Smith 88, Carey 65) A TV graphic tells us that 50 per cent of Carey’s scoring strokes against spin in this innings have been sweeps: 18 per cent reverse, 32 per cent orthodox.
Out of nothing, a roundarm delivery from Peiris turns and bounces grotesquely to beat Carey’s defensive push. Carey could have been holding two bats and I’m not sure he’d have edged it. Nathan Lyon is going to have a field day on this pitch in the second innings.
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56th over: Australia 223-3 (Smith 88, Carey 66) Smith is annoyed with himself after whacking only a single from a full toss by Jayasuriya. Carey, the dominant partner since tea, punishes a short ball with a fine cut through the covers.
A wicket could change everything but at the moment Jayasuriya is bowling so poorly by his standards.
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55th over: Australia 223-3 (Smith 85, Carey 60)
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54th over: Australia 214-3 (Smith 84, Carey 60) The more replays we see of that Peiris delivery to Smith in the 47th over – and we’re almost in double figures – the harder it is to believe it didn’t dislodge the bails. That was then and this is now; a demoralised Jayasuriya, back over the wicket to the right-hander, is kicked and milked for three runs.
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53rd over: Australia 211-3 (Smith 82, Carey 59) Both players have reverse swept excellently, Carey in particular, and he plays the stroke for consecutive twos off Peiris. A premditated lap just clears Kusal Mendis, who read the stroke and skipped towards where leg slip would be. No boundaries but still eight runs from the over; Australia are doing almost as they please.
52nd over: Australia 203-3 (Smith 81, Carey 52) Smith charges Jayasuriya, doesn’t get to the pitch and slices a lofted drive that teases long off before bouncing short. That was close. Smith flexes his back when he gets to the non-striker’s end; I think he’s okay.
Fifty for Alex Carey
51st over: Australia 199-3 (Smith 79, Carey 50) Carey drives Peiris for a single to reach a typically unobtrusive fifty from 68 balls. He’s been in excellent form since that matchwinning 98 not out at Christchurch a year ago, with a Test average of 59 in that time.
The players return to the field for the evening session. Alex Carey is wearing his helmet, Steve Smith just the Baggy Green. Nishan Peiris will open up.
Tea
50th over: Australia 197-3 (Smith 78, Carey 49) A piece of filth from Jayasuriya is heaved round the corner for four by Smith, who is closing in on his fourth century in the last five Tests. I’m not sure this defensive approach suits Jayasuriya, who is used to hunting wickets on the turning tracks of Galle. He has 75 wickets in only 10 Tests on this ground, including that debut 12-for against Australia in 2022, but he has looked pretty innocuous in this series.
Jayasuriya moves around the wicket for the last two balls of the session, both of which are played with ease by Smith. That completes a tremendous session for Australia, who scored 112 in 29 overs for the loss of Usman Khawaja. Steve Smith and Alex Carey batted masterfully to put Sri Lanka on the back foot and reduce Australia’s deficit to 60 runs; it feels the decisive session of the match.
49th over: Australia 193-3 (Smith 74, Carey 49) Smith reverse sweeps Peiris throgh point for a couple, then drives a single to bring up what could be a match-winning century partnership. They’ve played so well, mixing calculated big shots with deft placement and sharp running between the wicket. It’s been a bit of a clinic.
48th over: Australia 187-3 (Smith 71, Carey 46) Smith is kicking away anything pitched outside leg stump by Jayasuriya; a maiden is the inevitable result. Sri Lanka are trying to slow the scoring rate in the hope Smith or Carey will get bored. I’m not sure they will.
47th over: Australia 187-3 (Smith 71, Carey 46) Nishan Peiris replaces his fellow offspinner Ramesh Mendis (13-0-48-0). His second ball is a beauty that beats Smith’s attempted drive and bounces this far over middle stump before running away for a couple of byes. Australia are in such a good position on a pitch that is already breaking up; they trail by 70.
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46th over: Australia 184-3 (Smith 70, Carey 46) Jayasuriya is back after two overs from Kumara. Carey is beaten by the first ball, then chips over mid-off for four. It teased the fielder, Kumara I think, but eventually cleared him comfortably.
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45th over: Australia 178-3 (Smith 69, Carey 41) Smith tries to reverse sweep a ball from Mendis that beats everyone and scoots down the leg side for four byes. Australia have scored 49 from the last 10 overs, a pretty ominous statistic for Sri Lanka.
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44th over: Australia 173-3 (Smith 69, Carey 40) Too short from Kumara and Carey, who was born to be a supporting actor with the bat, puts him away for four. He’s playing beautifully as well. If Sri Lanka don’t strike in the 20 minutes before tea they could face a very painful evening session.
43rd over: Australia 166-3 (Smith 68, Carey 34) Mendis beats Smith in the flight with a beautiful curving delivery that Smith, reaching forward defensively, inside-edges onto the pad. The next two deliveries are too short, allowing Smith to play back at his leisure. The inability to maintain a consistent line and length has been a big problem for Sri Lanka since lunch.
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42nd over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 67, Carey 32) Time for a change of pace. The muscular Lahiru Kumara, who bowled only two overs with the new ball, replaces Prabath Jayasuriya (13-2-52-1), with a solitary second slip in place for Smith. It’s a pretty good over, everything fullish and straight. A maiden.
“With Smith being as common a name as Mendis, I just want to confirm that this is the same Smith we were told was all washed up just a few months ago?” asks Gary Naylor. “Form and class eh?”
If his eyes have gone, I’ll happily take them.
41st over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 67, Carey 32) Australia haven’t won a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2011 so, while this won’t impact the World Test Championship, it’s an important tour for a team who love ticking achievements off the list.
A quicker ball from Mendis explodes from off stump to beat the bat. This won’t be an easy pitch to start on for the rest of the game, which makes this partnership even more valuable.
40th over: Australia 162-3 (Smith 66, Carey 32) Jayasuriya tosses one up to Smith, who clatters it through extra cover for four. Wonderful batting. He is starting to break Sri Lanka’s will with the sheer certainty of his batting. Australia trail by 95.
39th over: Australia 156-3 (Smith 61, Carey 31) Sri Lanka look like they are waiting for a wicket rather than actively seeking one. The offspinner Mendis is bowling around the wicket to Smith with short leg the only close fielder. A bit of width allows Smith to stretch forward and flash the ball to the cover boundary. That’s such a good shot.
Fifty for Steve Smith
38th over: Australia 150-3 (Smith 55, Carey 31) Smith sweeps Jayasuriya firmly for four to bring up an outstanding half-century from 98 balls. In awkward conditions he has been at his problem-solving best, and in this innings he has become Australia’s leading runscorer on the subcontinent: 1918 at an average of 52, a nose ahead of Ricky Ponting (1889 at 42)
37th over: Australia 143-3 (Smith 49, Carey 30) Thanks Martin, evening everyone. Ramesh Mendis returns to the attack with a slip and leg slip for Carey, who pops him over wide mid-on for six. That’s a terrific shot, which brings up an admirably procative fifty partnership from only 72 balls. This is not an easy pitch and you have to find ways to put pressure back on the bowlers; Australia have done that while almost managing risk expertly.
36th over: Australia 135-3 (Smith 48, Carey 23) SIX! Smith steps down the track and effortlessly lofts a drive back over Jayasuriya’s head and beyond the rope. A sublime stroke that was all about the footwork with a touch of timing. That’s drinks, with the Australia pair looking in control even if we all know too well what the break can do to a batter’s rhythm.
I’ll hand you over to Rob Smyth to guide you through the rest of day two. Thanks for following along.
35th over: Australia 128-3 (Smith 42, Carey 22) Smith quickly picks up the flight of the ball and with a flick of the wrists turns it to midwicket for a single. Carey puts the sweep away for the rest of the over but adds one more with a straight drive. The Australian pair are scoring from a limited range of shots, but it is proving highly effective.
34th over: Australia 126-3 (Smith 41, Carey 21) Carey gets down on one knee again but rather than sweeping he gets to the ball on the fall and guides it fine to avoid the fielder and reach the boundary. He really is punishing anything overpitched, which Sri Lanka have mostly avoided offering to him until the last two overs.
33rd over: Australia 122-3 (Smith 41, Carey 17) Dhananjaya returns for the first time since the break. No surprise that a comment on Sri Lanka keeping the run-rate down has been followed by a boundary. Even less of a shock that it has come off a sweep from Carey. Long-off seems to be the spot for singles, with three of them taken from the over.
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32nd over: Australia 115-3 (Smith 40, Carey 11) The Sri Lanka spinners are doing their best to contain Australia’s flow of runs since lunch but Smith and Carey remain comfortable working anything slightly off line away if only to turn over the strike. Two from the over.
Steve Smith is looking increasingly comfortable in the middle in Galle but Rowan Sweeney has spotted some Sri Lanka players trying to get under his collar.
I’m loving the apparently premeditated attempt to troll Steve Smith. Stuart Broad-tier stuff.
31st over: Australia 113-3 (Smith 39, Carey 10) An unusually looser over from Peiris as he drifts down the leg-side a few times. Carey picks him off for a single to midwicket then Smith ends the over with one more in the same region.
30th over: Australia 111-3 (Smith 38, Carey 9) A fruitful over for Australia as Smith finishes it with a rare reverse sweep that races away for four. Surely the batting mastermind isn’t getting a little bored out there facing over after over of spin? Or maybe he’s just taking inspiration from Carey, who started the over with two runs off his own sweep shot.
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29th over: Australia 104-3 (Smith 34, Carey 6) Peiris turns to a much fuller length but Smith and Carey are up to the task, with three singles to long-off between them before Carey mis-times a drive but picks up one more at point.
28th over: Australia 100-3 (Smith 32, Carey 4) Ramesh Mendis into the attack as Australia reach triple figures when Smith nudges off his hip for a couple behind the wicket, then adds a single through midwicket. Smith is looking especially comfortable when working the ball onto the leg-side.
27th over: Australia 97-3 (Smith 29, Carey 4) No sweep shots off Nishan Peiris as he continues to pitch the ball back of a length. But both batters find a single with a straight drive.
26th over: Australia 95-3 (Smith 28, Carey 3) Smith begins the over with a flick of the wrists as he drives to deep cover for a single. Carey is soon off the mark from his familiar position of being down on one knee and sweeping, firstly for two with a traditional stroke, then a single from a reverse sweep. A reminder that Carey has jumped up the order with Inglis forced to wait after spending time off the field with back spasms.
Josh Inglis is in his whites and has been to the nets with the Australia coaching staff for a quick batting session as he nears the time when he is allowed to take to the crease after spending a long period of time off the field during Sri Lanka’s first innings.
WICKET! Khawaja lbw b Peiris 36 (Australia 91-3)
Nishan Peiris drops short and entices Khawaja to pull as the ball skids through and slams into his back pad. No doubt about that hitting in line but did it straight up or head down leg? Khawaja asks the DRS for a second opinion but the review shows the ball was tracking into leg-stump.
25th over: Australia 91-3 (Smith 27, Carey 0)
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24th over: Australia 90-2 (Khawaja 36, Smith 26) Smith takes a couple of long steps down the pitch and cracks a straight drive past Jayasuriya and … into Khawaja’s foot. That was heading to the rope but the Australian pair are only able to run one with their opener hobbling alongside the wicket. He walks it off and continues batting.
23nd over: Australia 87-2 (Khawaja 34, Smith 23) Smith steps onto his back foot and is deep in his crease when he is too slow getting his bat down to the ball as it stays low and crashes into his pad. The umpire raises the finger but Smith immediately sends it upstairs and replays show it has hit him outside the line. That could be seen as a life for the Australian skipper, but more likely he knew the whereabouts of his off-stump. Khawaja and Smith bookend the over with a single each to long-off.
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22nd over: Australia 85-2 (Khawaja 34, Smith 23) Prabath Jayasuriya begins the session with a maiden to Steve Smith as the Sri Lanka field opens up the sweep shot in an attempt to tempt the Australia captain into a loose stroke.
Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith make their way back into the middle with the Sri Lanka XI close behind as Australia resume on 85 for 2 and still 172 runs behind the hosts in Galle.
I sense battlelines are being drawn even with the Ashes still more than eight months away. Ray Murphy won’t hear a bad word about Zac Crawley, who has a Test batting average that has come to the attention of another reader in an earlier comment.
Dan Langan shouldn’t fret about England opener averaging low 30s over 50 tests. Australia have also retained openers with similar stats – and then proceeded to play both sons who also averaged low 30s! Does Zac have any boys yet?
Sri Lanka edged the first session as Kusal Mendis (85 not out) and Lahiru Kumara added another 28 runs for the last wicket to take the hosts to 257.
Travis Head (21) looked set to chase down much of that total before lunch until taking his typically front-foot attack a step too far as he attempted to loft Nishan Peiris over his head but instead nicked off to slip. Marnus Labuschagne (4) was out shortly after as his troubles in sub-continent conditions continue but Usman Khawaja (34 not out) and Steve Smith (23 not out) steadied to see Australia through to the break at 85 for two.
The Australian pair took the game away from Sri Lanka with their hundreds in the first Test but the tourists’ other centurion from that match, Josh Inglis, might have to move down the order after spending long periods off the field yesterday and today due to back spasms.
21st over: Australia 85-2 (Khawaja 34, Smith 23) Ramesh keeps giving Khawaja little to work with as he takes away the sweeping option. The left-hander finds a single off the back foot and Smith heads into lunch with one more taken from a nudge through midwicket. That’s lunch.
Adam Burke is on Team Marnus as well as he makes a reasonable point about the Australia No 3’s recent form, despite him falling for four today.
Dan Langan is right. It’s a bowler-dominated era and he just scored 72 & 70 in the Boxing Day Test for goodness sake.
20th over: Australia 83-2 (Khawaja 33, Smith 22) The Australian pair are falling into a familiar pattern with Khawaja taking an early single then Smith finding the boundary. The No 4 drives straighter this time for the same result.
19th over: Australia 78-2 (Khawaja 32, Smith 18) SHOT! All class from Smith, as we’ve come to expect from the Australia skipper, as he gets on the front foot and drives to the boundary. Smith appears to be moving through the gears but Ramesh is able to tie him down from there.
18th over: Australia 73-2 (Khawaja 31, Smith 14) A huge appeal as Khawaja is rapped on the pad trying to pull but replays show the ball pitched outside leg. It looked like a stretch on first viewing as well. But there is no doubt about the chance off the next delivery as Smith edges to slip but the ball falls narrowly short. Sri Lanka might have flashbacks to the first Test with half-chances like that.
17th over: Australia 70-2 (Khawaja 31, Smith 12) Khawaja and Smith share three singles playing off the back foot, though one is looking to get down on one knee at any opportunity and the other keeps searching for an excuse to go dancing.
16th over: Australia 67-2 (Khawaja 29, Smith 11) Smith is starting to look settled using his feet to Jayasuriya as he picks up an easy single to midwicket. Khawaja adds another with a reverse sweep.
Dan Langan has come into bat for Marnus Labuschagne.
Oh to have a problem like Labuschagne (30.3 in 25.5 Tests). England has a top-order batter averaging 30.5 in his last 53 Tests (his entire career) and he’s safe as houses.
15th over: Australia 65-2 (Khawaja 28, Smith 10) Ramesh Mendis into the attack for his first over of the innings but more of the familiar right-arm off-spin. Ramesh is a bit shorter than some of his teammates as Khawaja and Smith both look to play more standing up and off their pads.
14th over: Australia 62-2 (Khawaja 27, Smith 8) Khawaja is determined to sweep Jayasuriya whether in the more traditional fashion or a reverse. The shot almost undoes the opener when sweeps at a ball well outside off and takes a top edge. The ball flies high but lands safely. Khawaja finally gets one right with a reverse sweep the backward point boundary.
13th over: Australia 56-2 (Khawaja 22, Smith 7) Khawaja tries to sweep Peiris but misses as the Sri Lankans rise as one for lbw. The appeal is turned down and the hosts don’t bother to send it upstairs, though replays show it would have been umpire’s call. That’s probably the price of an overly-hopeful yet ultimately wasted review earlier from Smith’s first ball faced.
12th over: Australia 53-2 (Khawaja 21, Smith 5) SHOT! Smith steps down the track and whips Jayasuriya through midwicket for a classy boundary. But the spinner almost strikes back immediately as Smith attempts to drive, is beaten and Kusal lifts the bails. The umpire isn’t interested and Smith survives.
11th over: Australia 49-2 (Khawaja 21, Smith 1) Peiris is back with the first over after drinks to Khawaja and must have found some turn at the bottom of his cup. Maiden.
While the players take a well-earned break in the hot conditions in Galle, it’s an opportunity for us to ponder Marnus Labuschagne’s place in the Australia Test XI.
The No 3 has now averaged 30.3 in 25.5 Tests since the start of 2023, but will he get another life when Australia tour West Indies in June-July?
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10th over: Australia 49-2 (Khawaja 21, Smith 1) Jayasuriya pitches four consecutive deliveries up to Smith until Australia’s skipper gets off the mark with a single down the ground. The increasingly confident Khawaja pulls out the reverse sweep for a boundary at backward point. That’s drinks.
9th over: Australia 43-2 (Khawaja 16, Smith 0) Khawaja punishes a rare short ball from Peiris as he steps onto the back foot and pulls it away to the rope. The left-hander finds a single to cover as he looks comfortable as anyone in these conditions.
8th over: Australia 37-2 (Khawaja 11, Smith 0) A huge over from Prabath Jayasuriya as he sends Marnus Labuschagne packing and has Steve Smith living on the edge with the very next delivery. It’s another big appeal for lbw and another review but this time the ball is tracking well down the leg side as Smith played forward. Jayasuriya had Khawaja and then Labuschagne in all sorts from the first two balls of his spell.
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WICKET! Labuschagne lbw b Jayasuriya 4 (Australia 37-2)
Prabath Jayasuriya comes into the attack and begins with a cracking over. The ball crashes into Labuschagne’s pads as he plays on the back foot when he should have got forward, but the umpire waves the appeal. Sri Lanka are quick to send the decision off for a review and replays show the ball was taking out leg stump.
7th over: Australia 36-1 (Khawaja 11, Labuschagne 4) Nishan Peiris gets the critical wicket of Travis Head but Marnus Labuschagne picks up where the opener left off with a boundary through cover off his first ball faced.
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WICKET! Head c de Silva b Peiris 21 (Australia 32-1)
Travis Head tries his luck one too many times as he steps down the track and tries to loft Peiris over his head but takes a thick edge to slip. Dhananjaya holds the catch.
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6th over: Australia 30-0 (Head 20, Khawaja 10) Dhananjaya continues without threatening the Australian openers. That’s at least until Khawaja takes a leading edge that sails wide of the bowler.
5th over: Australia 27-0 (Head 18, Khawaja 9) Nishan Peiris comes into the attack and starts around the wicket to Khawaja. He almost has the Australia opener on his way first ball but keeper Kusal Mendis spills the ball. It looks like there wasn’t any bat involved anyway, which might be some relief for the Sri Lankan’s who dropped so many catches in the first Test.
4th over: Australia 23-0 (Head 16, Khawaja 7) Dhananjaya has taken the new ball ahead of his two specialist spinners but seems to be bowling to a plan as he gives each ball plenty of flight. The Australia openers rotate the strike with a streak of singles in front of the wicket for five off the over.
3rd over: Australia 18-0 (Head 14, Khawaja 4) Ominous signs early for Sri Lanka with Travis Head already start to light up. The Australia opener hammers a controlled drive past mid-on to the boundary then betters it off the next delivery with a well-timed cover drive.
2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Head 6, Khawaja 3) Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva takes the cherry for the first time in the series and starts with a neat over to Khawaja. The opener whips off his pads for a single at square leg.
1st over: Australia 8-0 (Head 6, Khawaja 2) Head set the tone in the first Test with a blazing half-century and is quickly off the mark this time with a single of the first ball of the innings. Khawaja also rotates the strike with ease leaving Head to swing hard enough to make the most of a leading edge for a boundary through gully.
Australia openers Travis Head and Usman Khawaja make their way to the crease with Lahiru Kumara out of his pads and marking out his run to send down the first over.
Sri Lanka all out for 257
Kusal Mendis (85 not out) helps guide Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 257 with 28 runs added this morning alongside No 11 Lahiru Kumara. Australia might have been expecting a dust bowl that made batting treacherous before the Test started but Sri Lanka’s 33-run final wicket stand suggests runs could be easier to come by after all.
Matthew Kuhnemann takes the last scalp to finish with three wickets, as do Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc. Usman Khawaja and Travis Head will be at the crease shortly, but Josh Inglish will have to bide his time before batting after spending several hours off the field during the Sri Lanka innings.
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WICKET! Kumara c Webster b Kuhnemann 2 (Sri Lanka 257)
Beau Webster takes a cracking catch at second slip to end the Sri Lanka innings and leave Kusal stranded on 85 not out.
97th over: Sri Lanka 256-9 (Kusal 84, Kumara 2) Rinse and repeat as Kusal takes an early single off Lyon’s over then Kumara shuts up shop.
96th over: Sri Lanka 255-9 (Kusal 83, Kumara 2) Kusal takes a single off the second ball of the over but Kumara has little problem defending the rest of the over on the front foot. This is turning into a frustrating partnership for the tourists.
95th over: Sri Lanka 254-9 (Kusal 82, Kumara 2) Kusal tries to play Lyon around the corner but can’t middle the ball as it is taken cleanly by Alex Carey behind the stumps. The Sri Lanka batter looks concerned but umpire Joel Wilson waves away the appeal, and replays show there was no spike on Ultraedge’s sound check. Lyon already had his cap in hand as players, Kusal included, started making their way to the locker room. But Kusal gets a life and immediately rubs salt into the wound with a sweep for four, after also doing much the same earlier in the over.
94th over: Sri Lanka 245-9 (Kusal 73, Kumara 2) Kusal slog sweeps Kuhnemann for a couple at deep midwicket then adds a single with a square drive. Australia crowd the bat with their left-arm spinner bowling to Kumara but the Sri Lanka No 11 twice defends comfortably on the front foot.
93rd over: Sri Lanka 242-9 (Kusal 70, Kumara 2) Kusal Mendis showed his intent to trust his batting partner yesterday when taking a single of the penultimate delivery of the day and does the same here with a run through midwicket. Lahiru Kumara gets off the mark with a couple to fine leg as Lyon drifts wide.
92nd over: Sri Lanka 239-9 (Kusal 69, Kumara 0) Steve Smith goes with double spin as Matthew Kuhnemann starts from the other end. The left-armer flights the first delivery and Kusal opens up with a classy cover drive to the rope as Mitchell Starc fails to cut it off. A single to point gives Kuhnemann three balls to Lahiru Kumara but the No 11’s defence is solid enough.
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91st over: Sri Lanka 234-9 (Kusal 64, Kumara 0) Nathan Lyon starts with Kusal Mendis on strike and on 59 not out. The Australia off-spinner targets the foot marks outside off-stump until drifting down the leg-side for Kusal to sweep for four. The keeper-batter nudges a single to short fine leg to stay on strike.
Back in Galle, the Australia and Sri Lanka players are making their way onto the field with the tourists one wicket away from wrapping up the innings.
Nathan Lyon has the ball in hand and will bowl to Sri Lanka keeper Kusal Mendis.
Australia have been under pressure to boycott the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan in response to the violation of women’s rights in the country under the Taliban regime. Cricket Australia have so far resisted those calls and England will also avoid taking “unilateral” action to boycott their Champions Trophy game against the same opponent, while calling on the ICC to make a more unified stand.
We remain of the view that a coordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match.
Australia and Sri Lanka will also meet in a pair of ODIs next week in preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy to be playing in Pakistan and Dubai later this month. It already looks like Australia will take a new-look squad to the tournament with confirmation that ODI stalwarts Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis won’t be making the trip.
Cooper Connolly is one player who could force his way into the squad especially with a strong showing in sub-continental conditions in Galle.
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Australia turned to ever-effective part-time spinner Travis Head (1 for 31) for eight overs on day one, while left-arm tweaker Cooper Connolly (0 for 12) and seamer Beau Webster (0 for 13) both bowled three. But much of the heavy lifting was done by Nathan Lyon (3 for 78) and Matthew Kuhnemann (2 for 53) who each sent down 30 overs, as well as left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc (3 for 37).
Captain Steve Smith seemed to be short of a fourth frontline bowler suited to the conditions on day one, especially with Todd Murphy dropped for the second Test with all-rounder Connolly preferred. Australia bowling coach Dan Vettori explained the change to the XI after play yesterday.
First-innings runs are going to play a huge role in whoever wins this game. The anticipation that the wicket would probably be slightly more extreme than the first Test match, we thought that the number of overs would come down and maybe batting would come to the fore.
It’s an incredibly tough call on ‘Murph’ because I think whenever he’s come into the team, he’s done a fantastic job. It was just our interpretation of the wicket led us to believe that runs were going to be at a premium.
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Australia may have a fight on their hands to seal a rare subcontinent series win against Sri Lanka after a see-sawing first day of the second Test in Galle.
Catch up on the day one report:
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of day two of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia.
After being dismantled in the first Test the hosts put up more of a fight yesterday as they reached 93 for one before Australia struck back with Nathan Lyon (3 for 78) and Mitchell Starc (3 for 37) leading the way. Sri Lanka were able to recover from a couple of mini-collapses off the back of half-centuries to Dinesh Chandimal (74) and Kusal Mendis (59 not out) to finish the day on 229 for 9, but will be hoping their keeper can eke out several more runs to lift them to a more competitive first innings total.
Australia’s quartet of spinners found more in the pitch as day one progressed and the batters will be conscious of the need to amass a strong total before conditions deteriorate further. Debutant Cooper Connolly has so far bowled only three overs in the match but could get his chance to impress with the bat at some stage today.
The conditions in Galle are hot but not too humid, with a predicted high of 31C and no signs that rain will interrupt play today or over the next few days.
First ball will be at 10am local time or 3.30pm AEDT. Meanwhile, please keep me company with your thoughts and predictions on email or @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
