Nathan Lyon put on a record-breaking spin bowling display as hosts Sri Lanka were trailing by 414 runs in their second innings against Australia on Day 4 of the first Testof the bilateral series being played in Galle.
Austrlia had earlier declared their first innings at a mammoth 654/6, leaving Sri Lanka with a daunting task.
By the end of the second session on day two, Sri Lanka were 75/3 in their second innings, still trailing by 414 runs.
In addition to Matt Kuhnemann's five-fer, Lyon’s three-wicket haul in the first innings was a also key factor in Sri Lanka’s downfall.
Lyon broke several records during the match, becoming the first spinner, and only the second bowler overall, to reach 200 wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC).
He also surpassed Shane Warne’s record for the most Test wickets by an Australian in Sri Lanka. Lyon’s three-wicket haul took his tally to 38, one more than Warne, as Australia enforced the follow-on after securing a massive first-innings lead.
Matt Kuhnemann, who recently recovered from a thumb injury, played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s collapse, claiming 5-63. Australia, who declared at 6-654, dismissed Sri Lanka for just 165, marking their largest first-innings lead since 2003.
Australia’s mammoth total of 656 in their first innings was largely driven by Usman Khawaja’s brilliant 232, which anchored the team’s impressive performance. Khawaja faced 352 balls, hitting 16 boundaries and one six, and his innings was pivotal in Australia’s dominance.
Travis Head provided quick-fire support, blasting 57 runs from just 40 balls.
Captain Steven Smith, in a patient knock, contributed 141 runs from 251 balls, with 12 boundaries and two sixes. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis also made a significant contribution with an aggressive 102 from 94 balls, which included 10 fours and one six. Inglis’s strike rate of 108.51 helped Australia push their total beyond the 650-run mark before he was dismissed by Jayasuriya.
Sri Lanka, starting the day at 5-136, lost their last five wickets for just nine runs.
Dinesh Chandimal (72) was the only resistance but fell to Lyon, with Ball Tracker confirming the delivery would have hit the stumps.
Enforcing the follow-on for only the sixth time since 2010, Australia quickly made inroads with Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy striking early in Sri Lanka’s second innings.
With their spinners in top form and a record-breaking performance from Lyon, Australia are on course for a resounding victory.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ