After quicks made the early break throughs, Australian spinners Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson ran through the Sri Lanka innings, bowling them out for 212 in the first innings here at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Lyon picked up five wickets—his 20th haul in Test cricket while Swepson claimed three as Sri Lanka ended their innings just 42 minutes into the final session of play.
After winning the toss, Sri Lanka, unsurprisingly decided to bat first on a pitch that showed early signs of turn and bounce. But the Australian bowlers tested the Sri Lankan batters consistently, bowling at tight line and lengths. Australian quicks Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc claimed a wicket each in the first session. Then their spinners Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson struck, removing Sri Lanka’s top and middle-order.
Australian Captain Pat Cummins snared the first wicket of the Test series when he dismissed Pathum Nissanka caught behind when the score was on 38. Kusal Mendis followed soon, edging Michael Starc to wicket-keeper as Sri Lanka slumped to 42 for 2 by the 17th over of the match.
Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews stuck around as Sri Lanka went to lunch at 68 for 2 but the Australians hit back strongly after the break, claiming three quick wickets. Karunaratne survived on 15 when Marnus Labuschagne put down a tough chance off Lyon but departed soon after lunch when a diving David Warner held onto a brilliant catch at gully off Lyon. The close in-fielders had appealed for a lbw first but the ball had taken a think inside edge before ballooning to gully where Warner dived full length to his left to hold onto it.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Mathews then shared a brief 23 runs for the fourth wicket but de Silva was sent back to the dressing room by a perfect Swepson delivery that grazed the outside edge on its way to wicket-keeper Alex Carey. Another wonderful delivery saw Dinesh Chandimal walking back to the pavilion on a golden duck after edging Swepson to Warner at second slip who held on to it after a juggle.
Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella then shared 42 for the sixth wicket before Mathews became Lyons's second victim, glancing a simple catch to Warner at leg slip. Despite wickets falling at one end Niroshan Dickwella kept fighting. He employed the sweep and reverse sweep to best effect and reached his 21st Test half-century off 42 balls. He was well assisted by Ramesh Mendis, the spinning all-rounder, as Sri Lanka reached 191 for 6 at tea. But Mendis was removed early into the final session of play by Lyon trapping him leg before for 22. Dickwella who was batting with aggression and intent, followed soon when an attempted convention sweep ended up offering a think inside edge to wicket-keeper. He departed for 58 off 59 balls before Lasith Embuldeniya slog-sweep his second ball over midwicket boundary off Lyon to bring up 200 on the board for Sri Lanka. He was however Lyon’s fifth victim of the match when he was caught wide mid-on by Usman Khawaja. Debutant Jeffery Vandersay was the last man out as hea swept Swepson to the hands of Starc near the rope.
Sri Lanka have picked four spinners for the series opener and just one quick, after their slower bowlers took 54 wickets across three Tests on Australia's last visit in 2016.
Australia, meanwhile, have gone with two spinners, with Labuschagne and Travis Head as part-time turners, after the latter overcome a hamstring injury to play.
Sri Lanka (1st Innings)
Pathum Nissanka c Carey b Cummins 23
Dimuth Karunaratne C Warner b Lyon 28
Kusal Mendis c Carey b Starc 03
Angelo Mathews c Warner b Lyon 39
Dhananjaya de Silva c Carey v Swepson 14
Niroshan Dickwella C Carey b Lyon 58
Ramen Mendis lbw b Lyon 22
Jefferey Vandersay c Starc b Swepson 06
Lasith Embuldeniya c Khawaja b Lyon 06
Asitha Fernando not out 02
Extras (B 5, lb 6) 11
Total (all out in 59 overs) 212
Fall of Wickets : 1-38 (Nissanka, 12.1 ov), 2-42 (K.Mendis, 16.1 ov), 3-74 (Karunaratne, 29.2 ov), 4-97 (de Silva, 36.1 ov), 5-97 (Chandimal, 36.2 ov), 6-139 (Mathews, 43.1 ov), 7-193 (R.Mendis, 53.5 ov), 8-198 (Dickwella, 55.3 ov), 9-206 (Embuldeniya, 57.5 ov), 10-212 (Vandersay, 58.6 ov)
Bowling : Mitchell Starc 9-0-31-1, Pat Cummins 12-4-25-1 , Nathan Lyon 25-2-90-5 , Micthell Swepson 13-0-55-3
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