Steve Smith stood unbeaten on 104 after crossing 10,000 Take a look at runs and helped Australia pummel Sri Lanka alongside fellow centurion Usman Khawaja on day one of many opening Take a look at on Wednesday.
HT Picture
Australia reached 330-2 in 81.1 overs when rain stopped play for the day after the vacationers elected to bat first in Galle at first of the two-match collection.
Left-handed opener Khawaja, on 147, and skipper Smith placed on an unbeaten stand of 195 to thwart the opposition assault in two wicketless afternoon periods.
Milestone man Smith received three runs off spinner Nishan Peiris to achieve his third ton in 4 matches as he took off his saggy inexperienced and raised his bat to acknowledge the group’s cheers.
Smith took the crease within the first session with 9,999 runs and calmly nudged his very first supply to mid-on for a single off Prabath Jayasuriya.
He turned the fifteenth batsman to 10,000 Take a look at runs and solely the fourth Australian to attain the feat after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.
Smith survived an early reprieve in his knock when Jayasuriya grassed a pointy return catch in the identical over, an opportunity Sri Lanka would come to rue.
He made the hosts pay dearly, crafting a chic thirty fifth Take a look at century to reaffirm his stature as one in all Australia’s rock within the middle-order.
Khawaja reached his sixteenth Take a look at hundred his maiden ton on Sri Lankan soil after a 17-match drought since his Ashes century in June 2023.
The ton got here with a flick off quick bowler Asitha Fernando to the positive leg boundary, a stroke brimming with class and reduction.
The 38-year-old had just a few heart-in-mouth moments when a few edges fell simply in need of fielders and a reprieve on 74 when he nicked Jayasuriya to the keeper, however Sri Lanka selected to not overview the on-field determination.
One other alternative slipped by Sri Lanka’s fingers with Smith on 90 as Kusal Mendis, gradual to react behind the stumps, spilled a bat-pad likelihood.
Earlier, Travis Head smashed 57 off 40 balls together with 10 fours and one six to place Sri Lanka on the again foot immediately.
Head, who changed 19-year-old Sam Konstas as an opener for the Take a look at, placed on 92 runs with fellow left-hander Khawaja.
The hosts lastly discovered a breakthrough when Head misfired an bold cost in opposition to Jayasuriya solely to search out the long-on fielder.
Jeffrey Vandersay had Marnus Labuschagne caught at first slip for 20 together with his left-arm spin.
With three specialist spinners within the Australian XI, the vacationers maintain all of the aces, particularly with the pitch anticipated to deteriorate as the sport progresses.
str/fk/gle/nr