Sri Lanka has failed a major trial by spin in the first Test, with Australia romping to a 10-wicket win in Galle inside three days.
Despite having never taken a Test wicket coming into the match, Travis Head wrecked the home side’s second innings, finishing with figures of 4-10 in 2.5 overs as Sri Lanka crumbled to 113 all out.
The innings lasted just 22.5 overs, making it Sri Lanka’s shortest ever Test innings since its introduction to the format in 1982. The total of 113 was Sri Lanka’s second lowest in a Galle Test match.
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The day began brightly for the home side, with paceman Asitha Fernando wiping out the Australian tail, but Sri Lanka’s second-innings batting effort left much to be desired.
Coming out facing a 109-run deficit, openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka began brightly, taking 17 runs off Mitchell Starc’s first over, before spin took over.
Skipper Pat Cummins did not bowl himself at all in the second innings, instead opting to go with Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson and Head, with the trio combining for all 10 second-innings wickets.
Lyon began the Sri Lankan rot, taking out Karunaratne with 37 on the board, before Swepson removed Nissanka just two runs later.
Having learnt from Australia’s own aggressive approach, the Sri Lankans played their shots throughout the second innings, opting for an array of sweeps and reverse sweeps, but many of them proved to be ill-advised.
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The tourists looked set to at least provide Australia with somewhat of a tricky fourth-innings target, before the introduction of Head saw Sri Lanka lose 3-2 in the space of nine deliveries, virtually sealing the result for Australia.
Incredibly, five of Sri Lanka’s batters succumbed to either sweeps or reverse sweeps, as the home side was dismissed for just 113, leaving Australia five runs to win.
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