Kusal Mendis had earlier lifted Sri Lanka past 250 after a useful final-wicket stand with Lahiru Kumara
Steven Smith and Alex Carey produced a valuable partnership • Getty Images
Tea Australia 197 for 3 (Smith 78*, Carey 49*, Peiris 2-36) trail Sri Lanka 257 (Kusal 85, Chandimal 74, Starc 3-37, Kuhnemann 3-63, Lyon 3-96) by 60 runs
Stand-in captain Steven Smith‘s purple patch continued as he combined with Alex Carey to deflate Sri Lanka’s attack in the middle session on day two of the second Test as Australia eyed a significant first-innings lead on a very dry Galle surface expected to deteriorate.
In response to Sri Lanka’s first innings of 257, Australia were in early trouble at 37 for 2 after the wickets of opener Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, who faces renewed scrutiny after making just 4 after scoring 20 in the first Test.
But Smith was unperturbed and he shared an unbroken 106-run partnership with Carey, who batted for the first time in his Test career at No. 5 with Josh Inglis having spent a significant period off the field in Sri Lanka’s innings because of back spasms. But Carey does bat in that position for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield and he unfurled his favoured sweep to good effect as Australia gained the ascendency in the second Test.
Having passed Ricky Ponting’s record of most runs by an Australian in Asia, Smith will be eyeing his 36th Test century in the final session.
Sri Lanka’s spinners have threatened at times and occasionally produced sharp turn, but have been unable to sustain the pressure and appeared out of answers as the second session wore on.
Offspinner Nishan Peiris has been their most threatening bowler in a good bounceback after he was ineffective in the first Test with 0 for 189 off 41 overs and deemed fortunate to retain his spot over legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay. He almost clean-bowled Smith just before tea with a fizzing offbreak that narrowly missed the top of the stumps.
Sri Lanka had started with optimism at the start of Australia’s innings. There was intrigue over whether Sri Lanka’s spinners would take the new ball, but lone quick Lahiru Kumara started and after enjoyed the pace with three early boundaries. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva surprisingly decided to share the new ball having not bowled in the first Test due to a side strain.
Head rattled along at a run-a-ball until on 21 he used his feet to Peiris but was outdone by turn, and a thick edge was taken at slip.
All eyes were then on Labuschagne, who only made 20 off 50 balls in Australia’s massive 654 for 6 declared in the series-opener. Having not scored a Test century since the 2023 Ashes tour, pressure is mounting on Labuschagne with his spot for this match attracting some attention.
He started well with a first-ball boundary through the covers, but he didn’t add any further runs and fell in the next over when he was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya in a decision overturned on review. Jayasuriya slid a fuller delivery that beat a tentative Labuschagne on the back foot. Labuschagne looked despondent when his fate was sealed and he trudged off the field.
Smith, wearing his baggy green, had a nervous start with a big lbw shout from Jayasuriya turned down as Sri Lanka burnt a review. Having made three centuries in his last seven Test innings, Smith looked to counter the sharp spin by skipping down the pitch while Usman Khawaja unfurled the reverse sweep just like he did in his double-century last week.
They blunted the spinners as Australia reached lunch well placed at 85 for 2. The game sparked to life on resumption with Smith given out lbw by umpire Joel Wilson after a low Peiris delivery struck him under the knee roll. But Smith quickly reviewed and his confidence was justified with the ball hitting him well outside the line.
Moments later, Wilson was again quick to raise the finger but this time he was vindicated with Khawaja plumb lbw on 36 after he tried to pull Peiris only to misjudge the line and length.
But Sri Lanka’s bid for more inroads came to a halt with Smith and Carey playing with relative ease as they rotated the strike and hit the occasional boundary.
Jayasuriya was held out of the attack for some time as de Silva preferred his offspinners against left-handed Carey. But Carey’s confidence grew as he slog swept Ramesh Mendis for six, while Smith unfurled a rare reverse sweep to the boundary
Jayasuriya returned but Smith was in his groove, skipping down the pitch and whacking a six. He brought up his half-century in style with a boundary as the runs continued to flow apart from when Jayasuriya restored to a leg-stump line to Smith.
Earlier, Sri Lanka finished with what appeared a competitive first-innings total after Kusal Mendis and No. 11 Kumara added 28 runs in the first 30 minutes of the day’s play. Mendis was left stranded on 85 but he should be well pleased having spearheaded Sri Lanka’s recovery from 150 for 6.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
