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January 30, 2025
Khawaja 147, Smith 104 in unfinished 195 stand as Australia grind Lankan attack to tune of 330/2

Sri Lanka Cricket

By Srian Obeyesekere

Australia ground Sri Lanka to the dust amassing 330 for the loss of two wickets with Usman Khawaja and standing captain Steve Smith striking facile centuries on the opening day of the first test match at the Galle International Stadium on Wednesday with rain ending play after 81.1 overs.

The 38 year old left hander Khawaja was. unbeaten on 147 off 210 balls hitting 19 boundaries and a six in what was his 16th test ton while the 35 year old Smith made the day special to him on a personal note as the deposed Australian captain for once savoured to be back in the job fleetingly as it would be in stroking 104 off 188 balls inclusive of 10 boundaries and a six to his 35th century in the format and 10,000 test runs in joining an elite band of compatriots such as Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

The Khawaja-Smith part.netship was worth 195 runs as the third wicket pair took over from the early riotus 92 first wicket start off 14.3 overs when Travis Head blazed a dominant 57 off 40 balls laced with 10 boundaries and a six with Khawaja at the other end as the left hander progressively took over the grinding job from where Head left when he was caught at the boundary at long on by Dinesh Chandimal as he tried to clear Jeffrey Vandersay to the stands. The second Australian wicket fell when Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva held Marnus Labuschagne at first slip off left arm leg spinner Prabath Jayasuriya with the score 135 in the 30th over.

But then, de Silva would be ruing a costly miss by him off Khawaja off the same bowler in the same position which was crucial to Sri Lanka’s cause where wickets were precious for the taking and considering the far and few the hosts claimed on a hapless first day as the veteran Aussie pair insulated themselves into a commanding position to continuing from where they left into the second day. Added to the Lankan woes was a second chance sent abegging when Jayasuriya failed to latch on to a difficult return catch to his extreme right by Smith.

Smith in particular used all his experience in blunting the heavy top Lankan spin attack also comprising Jeffrey Vandersay and Nishan Peiris using a dead bat to good effect.

The Sri Lankans were off set by the first day vagaries of the pitch which favoured the batsmen with a good toss to have been won by the Aussies.

Chief Scores

Australia 330/2 (81.1 Overs)
(Usman Khawaja n.o. 147, Steve Smith n.o. 104, Travis Head 57, Marnus Labuschagne 20, Jeffrey Vandersay 1/93, Prabath Jayasuriya 1/102)

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