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Usman Khawaja played the greatest innings of his Test career to help Australia tighten the screws on Sri Lanka in a series opener fast slipping away from the hosts.
Khawaja (232), Steve Smith (141) and debutant Josh Inglis (102) made life hell for Sri Lanka in Galle, as Australia declared on 6-654, their largest total for any innings on the subcontinent.
Sri Lanka then lost three wickets within an hour of Australia’s declaration late on Wednesday’s second day to finish the day on 3-44, and could have lost another had substitute fielder Nathan McSweeney held onto Dinesh Chandimal’s edge above the slips.
Australia were 610 runs ahead at stumps, with Kamindu Mendis and Chandimal unbeaten on 13 and 9 respectively when rain stopped play for the second day running.
Opening the bowling, left-arm off-spinner Matthew Kuhnemann struck to dismiss a nervy Oshada Fernando lbw for seven in his first over since dislocating his thumb a little more than two weeks ago.
Spectacular catches from McSweeney in the slips and Travis Head at short-leg pushed Sri Lanka into a world of hurt and, respectively, handed Mitch Starc and Nathan Lyon early scalps.
Earlier, veteran opener Khawaja silenced the critics who came out in force during a tough summer, and surely extended the lifespan of his long career with his first Test double-hundred.
Khawaja was dropped twice and would have been out caught behind if Sri Lanka had used a review on day one, and was nearly run out at the non-striker’s end when he strayed from his crease early on Thursday.
His fortune finally ran out in the second session, edging Prabath Jayasuriya, who took 3-193, to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis and immediately walking.
Khawaja left in good company: Donald Bradman is the only other Australian to reach 200 runs in a Test innings after his 38th birthday but cramping prevented him from fielding when Sri Lanka made it to the crease late in the day.
Once lambasted for his track record against spin, Khawaja reverse-swept often and effectively across the 352 deliveries he faced on a pitch offering limited bounce.
He found the gap between fielders throughout the innings, and passed his previous high score of 195 by hitting Jayasuriya past cover for four in the first session.
The veteran raised a fist to the air as he snuck a single at mid-off to reach 200, kneeling on the ground and kissing the turf.
It was a slightly smaller Galle crowd to the one that attended day one to see Smith pass 10,000 runs, but the punters nevertheless rose to applaud Khawaja under the historic city’s clearest skies of the week.
Inglis vindicated his selection as a specialist batter at the expense of teen sensation Sam Konstas, speeding his way to triple figures from only 90 deliveries.
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Only India’s Shikhar Dhawan (85 balls) has reached a century faster on Test debut.
Inglis’s aggression and proficiency against spin were on full show as he became the first Australian debutant to score a century since Adam Voges in 2015.
A six off Jeffrey Vandersay over long-on was a particular highlight, before Inglis pushed Jayasuriya to cover.
After opting not to review two would-be wickets on day one, the hosts finally figured out the DRS and sent an lbw shout upstairs to end Smith’s blistering innings.
Smith raised his bat to the crowd at the end of an innings that could have finished on one had Jayasuriya held on from his own bowling.
Instead, Smith continued to wreak havoc on day two and passed Sunil Gavaskar into 13th place on the all-time Test run-scorers list with a six over long on.
Smith has now scored 10,140 runs in the baggy green.
His 266-run stand with Khawaja was Australia’s largest third-wicket stand on the subcontinent in Test history, and the fifth-largest for the third wicket all up.
