Steve Smith and David Warner have been heavily criticised after wasting a pair of reviews on clear-cut lbw decisions as Australia crashed to an innings defeat on day four of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
The tourists began their second innings trailing Sri Lanka by 190 runs after a brilliant unbeaten 206 from Dinesh Chandimal allowed the home side to post an imposing score of 554 in its first innings.
Australia was bowled out for just 151 in its second innings, with Test debutant Prabath Jayasuriya picking up another six wickets after his six in the first innings.
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The innings loss, Australia’s first in a Test since 2016, meant the two-match series finished in a 1-1 draw between the two sides.
Warner and Usman Khawaja began in positive fashion for Australia, putting on 49 for the first wicket before Warner perished to the right-arm off spin of Ramesh Mendis.
The left-hander looked to sweep the off-spinner, who was bowling from around the wicket, and was struck in line, but reviewed the umpire’s call, with hawkeye showing the dreaded three reds in favour of the bowling side.
However, Warner’s decision was made to look not quite so bad just overs later when Smith sent one upstairs after he was trapped lbw by Prabath Jayasuriya.
The first-innings centurion attempted to play back to a delivery which pitched on leg stump and straightened considerably and was trapped in front of middle and leg.
After a mid-pitch conference with the non-striker, Marnus Labuschagne, Smith referred the decision, with hawkeye again showing three reds in Sri Lanka’s favour, resulting in his dismissal for a duck.
The two botched calls were widely panned on social media, and left Australia with just one review for the majority of its second innings.
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Australia began its second innings in a massive hole courtesy of a career-best knock from Chandimal, who shepherded the tail in expert fashion.
The 32-year-old combined with No.11 Kasun Rajitha to put on 49 for the final wicket, bringing up his double century through a pair of monstrous sixes off Mitchell Starc.
Chandimal scored 42 off 18 balls after the fall of Sri Lanka’s ninth wicket, which allowed him to reach the 200-run mark for the first time in his Test career, surpassing his previous best score of 164.
Chandimal’s 206 is the highest by a Sri Lankan batter against Australia in a Test, surpassing the 192 scored by batting maestro Kumar Sangakkara in Hobart in 2007.