Galle, Feb 1: Australia wrapped up the first Test against Sri Lanka with a session and a day to spare, handing the hosts their biggest defeat in Test cricket on Saturday.
Sri Lanka were skittled out for 247 in their second innings, succumbing to an innings-and-242-run drubbing. Their previous heaviest Test defeat was an innings-and-239-run loss to India in Nagpur in 2017.
Spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon ran riot, sharing 16 wickets between them as they dismantled Sri Lanka’s fragile batting lineup in both innings.
Kuhnemann, who had already snared a five-wicket haul in the first innings, finished with figures of nine for 149 – his best in Test cricket.
“We started off well with the openers setting the tone,” Australia captain Steven Smith said. “Usman (Khawaja) was amazing with that double hundred. He put lot of pressure on the bowlers. Getting 650 allowed us to dictate terms.
“The first day didn’t quite reflect the score,” Smith added. “It took some spin and we batted exceptionally well. I thought we bowled really well. The thing of having three spinners is that you can keep them fresh and next guy can come and make an impact.”
Sri Lanka’s resistance was feeble at best. They lost eight wickets in a session before lunch and another seven between lunch and tea, as Australia stamped their authority with smart bowling and exceptional fielding.
Sri Lanka had allowed Australia to rack up a commanding first innings of 654 for six declared. Khawaja’s double century, Josh Inglis’ debut hundred, and Smith’s second Test century propelled the visitors into a position of absolute command.
Dinesh Chandimal was the lone warrior in the first innings, scoring 72, while Jeffrey Vandersay, batting at number nine, brought up a counterattacking half-century in the second innings. His blistering 53 off 47 balls, laced with seven fours and two sixes, was a stark reminder that the pitch had no demons – application was all that was required.
Sri Lanka had hoped Vandersay would delay the inevitable and help them avoid their worst defeat, but with just four runs needed to surpass that unwanted record, he perished recklessly.
With just two half-centuries in the entire game, Sri Lanka’s fragile batting unit is bound to face serious questions. Changes are expected ahead of the second Test, which begins in Galle on Thursday.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva had spoken of reclaiming the Warne-Murali Trophy, which Sri Lanka had lost in 2019. But with Australia taking an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series, the trophy remains firmly in the visitors’ grasp.
De Silva also harboured ambitions of climbing to number three in the World Test Championship standings. Instead, Sri Lanka plummeted to seventh. (AP)
Brief Scores
AUS: 654/6 d
SL: 165 & 247 (f/o)
(Jeffrey Vandersay 53,
Angelo Mathews 41;
Nathan Lyon 4/78,
M Kuhnemann 4/86)