SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA, 2ND TEST MATCH, GALLE : Australia Crushed Sri Lanka by 9 Wickets To Clean Sweep Two Test Match Series .
Australia beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the second Test in Galle on Sunday to clinch the two-match series 2-0. Faced with a target of 75, Australia lost just Travis Head as they coasted to an emphatic win before lunch on day four. It came after Steve Smith’s men had skittled Sri Lanka out for 231 earlier on Sunday after the home side resumed from overnight 211-8. Sri Lanka’s resistance lasted just 26 minutes, with Kusal Mendis out for 50 and Lahiru Kumara for nine. Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann shared four wickets apiece for Australia. Australia Crushed Sri Lanka by 9 Wickets To Clean Sweep Two Test Match Series .
TOSS-
Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to bat.
TEAMS LINE UP-
Sri Lanka Squad:
Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Lahiru Kumara
Australia Squad:
Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon
DAY 1-
Under-fire batting unit was put in by Dhananjaya de Silva with the bat on a dry surface after winning the toss. Sri Lanka made a relatively good start through the experienced duo of Dimuth Karunaratne – in his 100th and farewell Test for Sri Lanka – and Chandimal, two were in the crease a week after Australia had racks up 654/6 in the first innings of a Test played at the same venue. Nathan Lyon was used early on a surface that turned sharply from the first hour itself, and accounted for returning opener Pathum Nissanka. However, the second-wicket pair of Karunaratne and Chandimal stood firm through the rest of the morning session with solidity – and a little intent to push the team along.
Immediately after the drinks break, Australia made the breakthrough through the golden arm of Travis Head. Kamindu Mendis edged to Steve Smith in first slip in an attempted cut shot against the offie. Mitchell Starc’s return coincided with Dhananjaya de Silva’s arrival, and the pacer removed the Sri Lankan captain immediately. Starc bowled his full-witted self and Dhananjaya came after it, nicking Webster at gully.
Chandimal, who brought up his 32nd Test fifty during this session, saw out the rest of the session along with Kusal Mendis. But once more it did not create the sort of bigger, more substantial alliance that Sri Lanka lost a wicket early in to a session. Chandimal fell this time to a stunning piece of glovework from Carey. Chandimal pressed forward and missed a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery, and Carey whipped the bails off with not a part of the batter’s foot behind the line. He walked off for 74.
Kusal Mendis attempted to unsettle Lyon’s lengths by slog sweeping him on repeat. He and Ramesh Mendis defended doggedly for most of the final session, providing the gumption for a substantial partnership. They put 65 runs for the seventh wicket to cross the 200-mark, but Starc returned with the new ball in hand, and got rid of both batsmen in quick succession to leave Australia more than satisfied at the end of the day.
DAY 2-
A modest 85 by Kusal Mendis earlier in the day only suggested respectability with the bat, but Sri Lanka had remained in the game through half a day of cricket. Travis Head also succumbed cheaply, as did Marnus Labuschagne to the new-ball, to leave the tourists in a bit of a pickle.
As Smith moved through the gears, Carey had no such plans, his approach one-way traffic from the outset. He had blasted his way in a shock promotion to no.4 after Josh Inglis was told he couldn’t bat after being off the ground for an extended period of time. The left-hander seized that chance and let loose in the final session to easily outscore his partner. This single stat seemed to sum up how the Lankans were unable to create much – there was just one review taken since the 25th over of the Australian innings, stretching across 55 overs.
Similar to the afternoon session, the post-tea phase was once again all about Smith and Carey as both batters went on to reach their individual hundreds. As it happened. For the former it was his second of the series and at the beginning of this innings, he had also surpassed Ricky Ponting for the most runs scored by an Australian in Asia. Smith was in complete control as he negated Sri Lankan spinners using his feet and the depth of the crease to settle into his innings. There was some turn available but with the ball getting softer, it wasn’t too difficult to negotiate. The hosts’ bowlers also contributed to their troubles by being inconsistent.
A marathon unbeaten stand of 239 between Steve Smith (120*) and Alex Carey (139*) left Australia in the box seat at the end of day two of the final Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. The pair batted the entire evening session in consolidating the visitors’ impetus, and Australia now leads by 73 runs on first-innings on a pitch which is expected to worsen over the coming days.
DAY 3-
Australia finished their first innings with a lead of 157 after Sri Lanka’s spinners had a solid morning session. Having reached 330 for three at the end of the second day the visitors might have been thinking of getting beyond 500. Indeed, Jayasuriya (5-151) and Nishan Peiris (3-81) were all far more controlled today, especially the former as he worked for a fifer. They would still mourn their bowling on the second day when Australia really got themselves into a match-winning position.
However, the post-tea phase was a mixed bag for the home side as they scored 113 runs but also lost four wickets in process. The early phase post tea was a gradual one for Sri Lanka as the captain Dhananjaya de Silva began well and kept pretty solid good company for a well set Angelo Mathews (76) who batted fluently. But, as has been the case throughout the series, Kuhnemann had other ideas and intervened to nip the partnership in the bud. The left-arm spinner bowled a cracker that spun ferociously to find the edge of de Silva’s forward defence; Steve Smith at slip took a blinder, diving to catch one of the best.
Although at the other end Kusal Mendis brought them back into the lead with a counterattack, that was the only respite for the home team. There was no more damage done until the very end of the day when Kuhnemann dismissed Prabath Jayasuriya and left the Aussies needing just two more for victory. Mendis’ faint glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka lies in if he can farm the strike with the tail in a bid to push the lead past 120-130 or beyond. That, though, now feels a very long way away on a steadily wearing pitch.
On the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Australia made strides towards what would be a potential whitewash series win. Sri Lanka’s batters were trapped in a web spun by the spin duo of Matthew Kuhnemann (4-52) and Nathan Lyon (3-80) having ended the third day’s play, the hosts found themselves at 211/8 and with the lead a meager 54 at that. Kusal Mendis (48\*), like in the first dig, was once again looking good but has been short of partners at the other end.
DAY 4-
Within lighter than six overs, Australia had skittled out the Sri Lankan batting effort on Day 4. One from Lyon turned and bounced wickedly as the only glimmer of hope for the hosts – Kusal Mendis – top-edged a pull to short-fine leg. Kuhnemann was cracked through the fence for four by Lahiru Kumara. Two unsuccessful reviews by the tourists and a catch at second slip overturned — it bounced, into the hands of the fielder — were all hung in the next two overs by Lyon. But Hayley Webb then wrapped up the innings with his first ball of his spell to dismiss kumara.
After Skipping to Australia, Nishan Peiris Managed the New Ball Which Spin and Skid, Puzzled Head Early in His Stay. But the left-hander followed through with his punches as he sliced one over extra cover for four. At the other end, Ramesh Mendis squared Khawaja up, edging the ball away from the left-hander. But in a bid to make amends, Mendis was a little too full in the next over, with three deliveries getting the treatment to the boundary. Albeit the experienced Prabath Jayasuriya had Head caught behind off the glove of Kusal, that was the only ray of sunshine Sri Lanka had on the day.
Labuschagne and Khawaja waded in at the other end and piloted the visitors past the extension line effortlessly, blasting the winning runs off Dimuth Karunaratne, playing his 100th and final Test.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 257 and 231 (Angelo Mathews 76, Kusal Mendis 50; Matthew Kuhnemann 4-63, Nathan Lyon 4-84) lost to Australia 414 (Alex Carey 156. Steve Smith 131; Prabath Jayasuriya 5-151) & 75/1 (Usman Khawaja 27\*, Marnus Labuschagne 26\*; Prabath Jayasuriya 1-20) 9 wickets.