Australia steamrolled Sri Lanka’s listless batting order across two innings on day four to complete a near-flawless performance
Tristan Lavalette01-Feb-2025Australia brushed aside any concern over Galle’s fickle weather by steamrolling through Sri Lanka’s listless batting order across two innings on day four to complete a near-flawless performance in the first Test.After two sessions on day three were washed out, Australia’s push for a straightforward victory appeared under some threat with wet weather also forecast for later on the fourth day.But the rain held off and Australia resumed their domination by remarkably claiming 15 wickets to seal a massive innings and 242-run victory in a match that effectively only lasted nine sessions. Such was the gulf between the sides, Australia batted 154 overs in their sole innings compared to Sri Lanka’s 106.5 overs spread over two innings.Related
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It was a brilliant performance from a new-look Australia without skipper Pat Cummins and boasting a spin-heavy attack. Everything went to plan for stand-in captain Steven Smith after he won a favourable toss and Australia capitalised on a slow surface to post their highest ever total in Asia.Australia’s decision to reshuffle their batting order proved a masterstroke with Josh Inglis scoring a rapid century on debut. So too selecting three spinners with left-armer Matthew Kuhnemann underlining his value in the subcontinent with nine wickets for the match having made a speedy recovery from a thumb injury sustained in a BBL game on January 16.Australia were well prepared and executed their plans with bat and ball superbly, but they came up against an inept Sri Lanka. Matches between the teams traditionally have been highly competitive in this terrain, but Sri Lanka were completely outclassed and will need to regroup quickly before the second Test at the same venue starting on February 6.The result means Australia have retained the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy.After being forced to follow-on, having lost 5 for 9 to be bowled out for 165 in their first innings, Sri Lanka hoped to reset and muster enough fight to get them into the late afternoon when rain was expected.But Sri Lanka’s troubles continued in their second innings against left-arm quick Mitchell Starc and offspinner Todd Murphy, both of whom had not bowled in almost 24 hours.Opener Oshada Fernando in the third over fell plumb lbw to a fierce in-swinging delivery from Starc. Fernando, bafflingly, wasted a review in yet another hapless use of the technology from Sri Lanka in this match.Mitchell Starc removed Oshada Fernando•Getty Images
It meant Chandimal came to the crease less than an hour after his earlier dismissal in the first innings. But he watched from the other end as opener Dimuth Karunaratne had a horrible misjudgement and was clean bowled not playing a shot against Murphy.Sri Lanka had remarkably lost 7 for 15 across the two innings in little over an hour. But Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews combined for a 69-run partnership, Sri Lanka’s best of the match, to offer belated resistance.But disaster struck in the last over before lunch when Chandimal on 31 gloved Lyon to short leg as Australia successfully reviewed the not-out decision.When play resumed after the interval, the main interest was how quickly Australia could roll through Sri Lanka.But Smith, so astute in this match, made a rare misjudgement when he decided not to review an lbw shout on Mathews who missed an attempted reverse sweep off Nathan Lyon. Replays showed that the not-out decision would have been overturned, but it didn’t halt Australia’s momentum despite an entertaining cameo from Kamindu Mendis.Kamindu went on the attack and showed the type of aggressive form that powered him to average 74 from 10 Tests before this match. He whacked Kuhnemann down the ground for a boundary to race to 32, but on the next delivery he was unable to get under a delivery and holed out to deep midwicket.Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews shared a 69-run stand for the third wicket•AFP/Getty Images
It was another tame dismissal for Sri Lanka and gifted Kuhnemann’s first wicket against left-handers in Test cricket having badly struggled up to that point, leaking 108 runs from 101 deliveries.Mathews soon fell to Lyon at short leg after failing to execute a reverse sweep before skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis combined for a half-century partnership to prolong the inevitable.Not for the first time in this match, Dhananjaya threw his wicket away and it was a matter of time despite a maiden Test half-century from Jeffrey Vandersay, who was Sri Lanka’s best bowler in Australia’s first innings.Lyon added a couple of wickets to finish with match figures of 7 for 135 after having had little to do during the recent series against India.The result was swift in the end, but Australia entered the day’s play with some anxiety. There had been questions raised over whether Australia batted too long in their first innings as they posted their highest total in Asia.Resuming their first innings at 136 for 5, Sri Lanka found themselves with unexpected hope of surviving with a draw due to the wet weather. But they desperately needed Chandimal to kick on having compiled an attractive half-century on day three.The pressure was on Chandimal and Kusal Mendis as the last recognised batters before the tail.Smith deployed Kuhnemann and Lyon from the get-go as Chandimal unfurled the reverse sweep which he had used to good effect on the truncated day three.It was a cautious start from Sri Lanka’s batters with Kuhnemann extracting awkward bounce that occasionally reared off the surface. Mendis went to his favoured sweep shot against Kuhnemann and he whacked a boundary to raise Sri Lanka’s 150.But Australia were well prepared with their tactics and baited Mendis into the sweep shot with two fielders positioned deep square of the wicket. Mendis couldn’t contain himself and top-edged a sweep to be well caught by a running Murphy at square leg.The burden fell to Chandimal, who had been unable to recapture his fluency from earlier in the innings. His rearguard finally ended on 72 when he missed a reverse sweep to fall lbw to Lyon as he reviewed in vain.Sri Lanka’s tail folded quickly with Kuhnemann claiming his second five-wicket haul of his Test career, after his 5 for 16 against India in Indore. But he was just getting warmed up as Australia continued on their merry way to inflict Sri Lanka’s heaviest defeat in Test cricket.