SL vs AUS: Australia registered a massive win against Sri Lanka

SL vs AUS: Australia was on the brink of a commanding victory in Galle after enforcing the follow-on and dismissing Sri Lanka for 247 in their second innings on the fourth day of the first Test.

Australia secured a commanding win in the opening Test of the 2025 Warne Muralitharan Trophy, triumphing by an innings and 242 runs to take a commanding 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The match was a one-sided affair, with Australia thoroughly outplaying Sri Lanka in every aspect of the game.

It’s hard to determine whether Sri Lanka’s bowling or batting let them down, as their overall performance was well below expectations. A lack of application and a flawed approach led to their downfall, as they collapsed with the bat two times. 

This defeat marks Sri Lanka’s biggest-ever test loss, surpassing their previous loss of an innings and 239 runs against India in Nagpur, in 2017.

In their first innings, Australia posted a massive total, with Travis Head setting the tone at the top with his aggressive batting. Usman Khawaja anchored the innings with a brilliant maiden Test double century, while Steve Smith not only scored a century but also became the latest member of the exclusive 10,000-run club in Test cricket. On top of that, debutant Josh Inglis made an immediate impact with a superb century of his own. The visitors amassed 654/6 before declaring with an hour to go on day 2, firmly asserting their dominance.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers struggled to maintain consistency and failed to capitalize on the opportunities that came their way. However, Prabath Jayasuriya and Jeffrey Vandersay each claimed three wickets in the innings.

SL vs AUS: Sri Lanka Response

Needing a strong response with the bat, Sri Lanka collapsed to just 165 in just under 53 overs, still behind by 489 runs. Dinesh Chandimal fought back with a half-century, but the Australian bowlers, led by Matthew Kuhnemann’s five-wicket haul and Nathan Lyon’s three wickets, dismantled Sri Lanka’s vulnerable batting order.

Australia enforced the follow-on for the first time in nearly 22 years, and Sri Lanka’s batting woes only worsened. They lost two wickets in the first four overs, reeling at 6/2.

The middle order fought back with some resilience, putting together a few partnerships of over 40 runs, but Australia’s spinners made sure none of those starts turned into match-saving innings. Towards the end, Jeffrey Vandersay played a noteworthy knock to reach his first-ever half-century before being dismissed for 53 runs.

Nathan Lyon took charge, supported by Matthew Kuhnemann, the duo shared eight wickets, four apiece to bring Sri Lanka’s innings to a close. A remarkable 15 wickets fell on day 4, highlighting the evident flaws in Sri Lanka’s batting order.

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