Steve Smith has been left fuming after a horrible mix-up with Usman Khawaja ended his stay early in a tightly-contested opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Smith’s run out for just six allowed the home side to edge their way back into the contest after Australia had been on top for the majority of day one.
The tourists ended day one on 3-98 after 25 overs, 114 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 212 in what was an eventful day of Test cricket.
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Smith’s ugly mix-up with Khawaja came in the 20th over of Australia’s innings after a moment of confusion which saw the fielding side launch a vociferous appeal for lbw.
The ball cannoned off Smith’s front pad towards the covers, and with no fielder in the vicinity, he and Khawaja proceeded to take a run, only for Khawaja to reject the run with his batting partner stranded in the middle of the pitch.
Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella charged towards the ball and threw it back towards the batter’s end, with Kusal Mendis breaking the stumps before a diving Smith could make it back in time.
The former skipper was left livid immediately following the run out, shaking his head and gesturing at Khawaja, who refused to look at him from the non-striker’s end.
“Steve Smith is absolutely furious,” said HD Ackermann on commentary.
“It’s almost as if Smith couldn’t believe he had to go. He was almost looking at square leg as if the square leg umpire was going to say, ‘Don’t worry, you don’t have to be out’, but he had to make his way off the park.”
“He just keeps telling Usman Khawaja, ‘There was a single available, I called early, why didn’t you?’,” Pakistan great Aamer Sohail added.
“Confusion all around, but no confusion as far as the Sri Lankan fielders were concerned.
“Initially Smith thought there was no run in that and then Usman Khawaja called for it.
The damage could’ve been worse for the tourists, with Dickwella missing a stumping chance off Khawaja a few overs later.
The opener finished the day unbeaten on 47 off 86 deliveries, continuing the fine form he showed against Pakistan in Australia’s last tour of the subcontinent. He will be joined by Travis Head (six off 11) when Australia takes the field on day two.
After being forced to field first, Australia’s spin tandem of Nathan Lyon (5-90) and Mitchell Swepson (3-55) helped keep the home side to a below-par score.
Sri Lanka began brightly with the openers putting on 38 for the first wicket, but fell to 5-97 after Swepson removed Dhananjaya De Silva and Dinesh Chandimal in consecutive deliveries after lunch.
A brilliant counter-attacking half-century from Dickwella (58 off 59) allowed Sri Lanka to cross the 200-run mark.