Australia vs Sri Lanka 2nd test: Aussies near victory on day 3

GALLE: Sri Lanka were able to end the Aussies first innings on day 3, but Australia’s bowlers returned the favour. Sri Lanka only managed to make a lead of 54 runs, while losing eight wickets in the process. With only two wickets in hands, it looks like the Lions will be whitewashed at home by Australia.

Australia’s Innings

Australia skipper Steven Smith was the first to go on Saturday in the 85th over, as he was caught behind by Kusal Mendis on a delivery from Jayasuriya that nicked the outside edge of Smith’s bat. It was the end of a great knock, in which Smith scored 131 runs, and an even greater partnership, in which Smith and Alex Carey put up 259 runs. Smith is now tied with Joe Root for the fifth most test centuries ever.

Josh Inglis supplanted Smith, but was bowled by Jayasuriya in the very same over for a duck, on the second ball he faced. The Sri Lankan spinner then ended Carey’s knock in the 93rd over. But, before Carey was bowled, he had made an incredible 156 runs off the 188 deliveries he faced.

Cooper Connolly came to the field next, and was sent off not long after in the 96th over. It was Nishan Peiris pickling up his third wicket of the innings, with a little help from Ramesh Mendis at backward point who caught the ball after Connolly connected with a thick outside edge.

In the 104th over, Jayasuriya was back on the attack, as he completed his five-fer by bowling Mitchell Starc as the Aussie missed with a sweep. Ramesh then took a wicket in each of his next two overs. He bowled Beau Webster in the 105th, and Matthew Kuhnemann in the 107th.

Australia were all out in their first innings for 414 runs.

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Sri Lanka’s Innings

Kuhnemann put the pressure on Sri Lanka immediately, bowling opener Pathum Nissanka in the second over of the innings. He then got a second wicket in the 13th over, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne who was caught behind.

That was the last ball Karunaratne will face in tests, as this was the last match that the 36-year-old with over 7100 runs in the format will play.

Things got worse for the Lions in the very next over, as Dinesh Chandimal was sent off on a delivery from Nathan Lyon that eventually ended up in Beau Webster’s hands. Lyon then got his second wicket of the innings in the 26th over, dismissing Kamindy Mendis, who made 14 runs, as he was caught out by Usman Khawaja.

Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was the next to be sent off. It was Kuhnemann’s delivery that found the edge of de Silva’s bat in the 40th over, setting up Smith for an incredible catch.  

Angelo Mathews, who made the highest score for Sri Lanka in the second innings thus far with 76, was dismissed in the 58th over. It was Lyon taking his third wicket of the innings, on a delivery that was caught by Webster at wide fine leg.

In the next over, Ramesh Mendis was sent off for a duck after he was caught out by Travis Head at short leg on a delivery from Webster.

Kuhnemann managed to pick up his fourth wicket of the innings on the last over of the day, dismissing Jayasuriya on a delivery that nicked the outside edge of the bat before Smith caught it at slip.

Sri Lanka currently stand at 211 for eight. They lead by 54 runs.

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