Australia take lead, spurred by Green, Khawaja half centuries

By Shehan Daniel reporting from Galle 

Sri Lanka lost ground in the first Test against Australia, as poor returns from their bowlers and seventies from Cameron Green and Usman Khawaja gave the visitors a 101-run first innings lead. 

Australia were yet to complete their innings, sitting on a healthy 313 for 8 at stumps. 

With captain Pat Cummins looking to add quick runs – 16 of his 26 runs came in the final over of the day – the deficit could appear more daunting for the home team when they begin their second innings. 

The surface played not dissimilar to how it had on the first day, the ball still turning and spitting sharply off the pitch, though it was less frequent with the Sri Lankan spinners yesterday, struggling to find consistency in line and length – the only exception being Ramesh Mendis. 

At the start of a rain-reduced day’s play, he beat the outside edge of Khawaja’s bat repeatedly but the Australian was disciplined enough to not lose his wicket.  

The runs continued to flow however, with Sri Lanka bowling just one maiden in 44 overs of play. 

Any hope that a night’s sleep would have helped Lasith Embuldeniya recalibrate to the best version of himself, after an uninspiring seven overs on day one, was soon found to be misplaced, the left-arm spinner giving 14 runs off the first four overs he bowled yesterday. 

It didn’t help that he spent a majority of that first spell bowling to Khawaja, who continued his incredible form, notching up his seventh 50-plus score in 11 innings since returning to the Australian Test side earlier this year, and associating in a 57-run partnership with Green.

Leg spinner Jeffrey Vandersay dismissed Khawaja in his first over of the day, caught excellently at forward short leg by Pathum Nissanka, but Green and Alex Carey showed positive intent right through their 84-run partnership to steal a march on the hosts.  

The pair employed different approaches but looked equally comfortable, taking Australia into the tea break 21 ahead of Sri Lanka. 

Green used his feet and height to his advantage, regularly stepping out to meet the ball hot off the pitch, nullifying the threats the Galle wicket had to offer, though it was not without its lucky escapes. 

It was on one of those lunges out that Green survived a leg before wicket appeal, when his innings was just 11 balls old – the review confirming that had the umpire given him out his stay at the crease would have been over. 

Carey on the other hand, was quick to sweep, using the reverse and conventional sweeps to perfection to score a majority of his runs, and three of his six boundaries. 

31 overs of play were wiped out, after rains and winds in excess of 50 kmph damaged several temporary tents, and essential structures including the sight screens, though only 44 of the 59 allocated overs were completed yesterday.

Photo: Cameron Green (77) was instrumental in Australia gaining a first innings lead (Photo courtersy SLC)