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Cummins leads Australian rout of Sri Lanka
Australia thrashed a disappointing Sri Lanka by an innings and 40 runs in the first day-night Test in Brisbane on Saturday.
Led by a brilliant display of fast bowling from Pat Cummins, the Australians dominated a Sri Lankan outfit that never came to terms with the pace and bounce of the Gabba wicket.
They made 144 in the first innings and just 139 in the second in reply to Australia's first innings total of 323.
Cummins took a career-best 6-23 in the second innings and 10 for the match to lead the Australians to a win inside three days.
He was well-supported by debutant Jhye Richardson, who took 2-19 to go with the 3-26 he claimed in the first innings.
After starting their second innings 179 runs behind, the Sri Lankans never looked like making Australia bat a second time when they slumped to 19 for three and 35 for four.
Cummins exploited the conditions to the full in a superb seven over spell to start the day's play.
The 25-year-old, who dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne on the last ball of the day on Friday, took the first three Sri Lankan wickets to fall in Saturday's opening session.
Cummins was in irresistible form, bowling with great venom and immaculate control.
He snared Dinesh Chandimal for a duck with the second ball of his first over, the Sri Lankan captain edging a ball that leapt off a good length to Kurtis Patterson in the gully.
Kusal Mendis (1) replaced his skipper at the crease but lasted just seven deliveries before he launched an ambitious drive off Cummins, only to edge the ball to Joe Burns at second slip.
The Sri Lankans were in huge trouble at 18 for three but Roshan Silva dug in with opener Lahiru Thirimanne.
The pair took the score to 35 before Silva lost concentration and fell in identical fashion to Mendis, driving at Cummins and edging the ball to Burns, who took a good low catch.
Thirimanne and new batsman Dhananjaya de Silva were far more comfortable against the other Australian bowlers and once Cummins was replaced by a wayward Mitchell Starc, the pressure eased.
But in the second last over before the tea break, Richardson got a fine inswinger to crash through de Silva's defences and take out the off stump.
Cummins struck again soon after the resumption when Thirimanne (32) got the faintest of edges to wicketkeeper Tim Paine.
The Sri Lankan opener reviewed the decision, believing the ball had hit his back arm, however, despite Hot Spot not showing anything on the bat and Snicko indicating a faint spike after the ball had passed the bat, third umpire Michael Gough upheld Marais Erasmus's decision.
Niroshan Dickwella scored an entertaining 24 before he was caught spectacularly at backward square leg by Marcus Harris, before Patterson took an equally good diving catch to snare Dilruwan Perera at gully.
With the injured Lahiru Kumara unable to bat due to a hamstring injury, when Paine stumped Suranga Lakmal for a breezy 24, Australia had claimed an emphatic victory.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka 144 (N. Dickwella 64; P. Cummins 4-39, J. Richardson 3-26)
Australia 323 (T. Head 84, M. Labuschagne 81; S. Lakmal 5-75)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
D. Karunaratne c Paine b Cummins3
L. Thirimannec Paine b Cummins32
D. Chandimal c Patterson b Cummins0
K. Mendis c Burns b Cummins1
R. Silva c Burns b Cummins3
D. de Silva b Richardson14
N. Dickwella c Harris b Richardson24
D. Perera c Patterson b Cummins9
S. Lakmal stumped Paine b Lyon24
D. Chameera not out5
Extras (b9, lb14, nb1)24
Total (for 9 wickets)139
Did not bat: L. Kumara
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Karunaratne), 2-17 (Chandimal), 3-19 (Mendis), 4-35 (Silva), 5-69 (de Silva), 6-79 (Thirimanne), 7-109 (Dickwella), 8-110 (Perera), 9-139 (Lakmal)
Bowling: Starc 14-0-57-0 (1nb), Richardson 13-5-19-2, Lyon 8.5-3-17-1, Cummins 15-8-23-6
Half-centuries from Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne put Australia firmly in command of the day-night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.
Head hit a Test best 84 and Labuschagne posted 81 as Australia amassed 323 to hold an imposing 179-run innings lead over the Sri Lanka after the second day.
Sri Lanka suffered further indignity losing the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne on the last ball of the day by Pat Cummins for three as the tourists had to negotiate a tricky six overs facing the pink ball under lights.
Karunaratne was snapped up behind by Tim Paine as Sri Lanka reached stumps at 17 for one with Lahiru Thirimanne on six to trail by 162 runs overall and battling to avoid defeat with three days left.
Head was trapped leg before wicket by Suranga Lakmal, meaning no Australian batsman has scored a Test century in nine innings against India and Sri Lanka this summer.
Head sought a review but it sided with the umpire's call and he was on his way, shaking his head.
Labuschagne was out shortly before dinner also with a maiden Test century beckoning.
His patient 150-ball knock ended when he skipped down the wicket to lift a drive only to find the bottom of his bat and was taken at short mid-on by Thirimanne off Dhananjaya de Silva.
Sri Lanka grabbed a few wickets towards the end of Australia's innings. Cummins was unable to get off the mark in 21 balls before he was squared up by Dushmantha Chameera and tickled a catch behind to Niroshan Dickwella.
Skipper Paine was out first ball, edging a Lakmal outswinger to Kusal Mendis at second slip for a splendid low catch and young Test newcomer Kurtis Patterson showed promising resilience to bat for 82 balls before he was lbw to Lakmal for 30.
Mitchell Starc hit out lustily for 26 with four fours and a six before Jhye Richardson was the last wicket to fall for one. Lakmal finished with five for 75.
Head and Labuschagne put on 166 runs for the fifth wicket to seize the momentum and put Australia in command after losing two wickets in the opening session chasing Sri Lanka's modest 144.
Marcus Harris was out in the first over of the day, spooning a cut shot to Thirimanne at point off Lahiru Kumara for 44 after adding just four to his overnight score.
Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon was out three overs later for one, caught at second slip by Mendis off Lakmal, leaving the Australians at 82 for four in the 29th over.
The Sri Lankans struggled to come to terms with the bouncy Gabba wicket after winning the toss on Thursday's opening day with only Dickwella showing any resistance hitting 64 from 78 balls.
Richardson, who only came into the side after Josh Hazlewood was ruled out with injury, had figures of 3-26 to lead an impressive Australian display with the ball.
Cummins chimed in to clean up the tail, finishing with 4-39. The Brisbane Test is the first of a two-match series against Sri Lanka.
SCORECARD
Sri Lanka 144 (N. Dickwella 64; P. Cummins 4-39, J. Richardson 3-26)
Australia (74 for 2 overnight)
M. Harrisc Thirimanne b Kumara44
J. Burns c Mendis b Lakmal15
U. Khawaja b Perera11
N. Lyonc Mendis b Lakmal1
M. Labuschagne c Thirimanne b de Silva81
T. Headlbw b Lakmal84
K. Pattersonlbw b Lakmal30
T. Painec Mendis b Lakmal0
P. Cumminsc Dickwella b Chameera0
M. Starcnot out26
J. Richardsonc Karunaratne b Perera1
Extras (b6, lb17, nb5, w2)30
Total 323
Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Burns), 2-72 (Khawaja), 3-76 (Harris), 4-82 (Lyon), 5-248 (Labuschagne), 6-272 (Head), 7-272 (Paine), 8-278 (Cummins), 9-304 (Patterson), 10-323 (Richardson)
Bowling: Lakmal 27-9-75-5 (2nb), Kumara 15-5-37-1 (2w), Chameera 21-3-68-1 (3nb), Perera 32.2-9-84-2, de Silva 8-3-22-1, Karunaratne 3-0-14-0
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
Dimuth Karunaratne c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins 3
Lahiru Thirimanne Not Out 6
Extras 4b 4lb 0nb 0pen 0w 8
Total (6.0 overs) 17-1
Fall of Wickets : 1-17 Karunaratne
To Bat : de Silva, Mendis, Chandimal, Silva, Dickwella, Perera, Chameera, Lakmal, Kumara
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 2-0-2-0 , Jhye Richardson 2-1-2-0, Nathan Lyon
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