The Australian bowlers, who did not allow the batsmen to build stability from the start, were able to stop Sri Lanka at 212 in the first innings today (29) with 29 overs to spare.
Shortly after tea, spinners Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson took eight of the 10 wickets in Sri Lanka’s innings. Out of the two, spinner Lion took five wickets for 90 runs while Swepson took three wickets for 55 runs. Nathan Lyon, who won the Test in Galle in 2011, took five wickets in the first innings and five more in the match 11 years later in Galle. Kumar Sangakkara, who became the world’s No. 1 Test batsman in the first ball of the innings, took his wicket and made his name in the record books, taking his personal tally to 427 in his 109th match today.
The Sri Lankan innings began to collapse after Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed in the match which started after lunch. Dimuth’s dismissal added 69 runs for the loss of four wickets.
Niroshan Dickwella’s Ramesh Mendis’ 54-run partnership for the sixth wicket was the highest ever. With the exception of 42 runs for the fifth wicket between Mathews and Dickwella, none of the Sri Lankan batsmen failed to show consistency.
Dickwella, who took his Test cap from Angelo Mathews for the 50th Test today, took the lead with a 21st half-century to take Sri Lanka to a respectable score. The wicket-keeper, who came to bat in the face of a three-wicket haul, hit his own sweep, river sweep, and slog-sweep to reach the half-century in the 42nd over.
Sri Lanka was able to take their total to 191 for six at the end of the tea break. Dickwella was 58 off 59 balls when he was bowled by wicketkeeper Kerry in front of the Lions. Mendis gave him a great assist while Lasith Ambuldeniya hit only six of the innings while scoring 22 runs.
Sri Lanka all out for 212 in 59 overs – Niroshan Dickwella 58, Ramesh Mendis 22, Pathum Nissanka 23, Dimuth Karunaratne 28, Angelo Mathews 39, Dananjaya de Silva 14, Nathan Lion 90/5, Mitchell Swepson 55 /. 3)
