Smith and Carey’s Ton guided Australia to a dominant position against Sri Lanka on day 2 of the second Test at Galle Cricket Stadium.
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Unbeaten tons from Steve Smith and Alex Carey have set Australia on track for a series victory over Sri Lanka following the second day of the match on Friday.
Australia ended the day at 330-3, surpassing Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 257 about an hour before the second day’s stumps.
At the start of Day 2, Kusal Mendis (85*) resumed his impressive sweeping display, giving Sri Lanka a strong start alongside Lahiru Kumara. They contributed 28 more runs to the total, then Lahiru Kumara was dismissed by Matthew Kuhnemann, bringing their first innings to a close at 257.
Travis Head and Usman Khawaja started Australia’s chase with an aggressive approach, but Head (21) could not last long as he was dismissed by Nishan Peiris.
Marnus Labuschagne joined Khawaja to continue the innings, but he was dismissed quickly for just 4 runs, falling to Prabath Jayasuriya. Stand-in captain Steve Smith ignited the fightback after the visitors were in deep trouble at 2-37, leading a remarkable recovery with the bat.
Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja partnered to steady the innings, calmly handling the spinners and adding 48 runs before the session concluded with the score at 85/2.
After lunch, Sri Lanka aimed to regain control and eventually succeeded when a sharp, short delivery from Nishan Peiris slipped under Khawaja’s bat, dismissing him for 36.
Smith and Carey’s ton Masterclass
Alex Carey stepped up to the crease and seized the opportunity with both hands as he batted at No. 5 for the first time in his Test career.
Smith’s innings encountered an early setback when he was initially given out lbw to Nishan Peiris for 24, but a successful review allowed him to remain at the crease.
Steve Smith asserted his dominance in the game with brilliant cover drives, ultimately bringing up his 36th Test century by pulling Kamindu Mendis to the mid-wicket boundary.
Following Smith’s century, Alex Carey also brought up a century, hitting thirteen fours and two sixes along the way. Stand-in captain Smith and Carey forged an unbeatable 239-run partnership, leaving the Sri Lankan team facing the prospect of a significant series loss.
At the end of Day 2, Smith was unbeaten on 120 and Carey on 139. Their remarkable 239-run partnership guided Australia to 330/3, holding a 73-run lead and seven wickets in hand.
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