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Khawaja, Inglis Shatter Sri Lanka’s Hopes in Galle Test Match Day 2

Khawaja and Inglis deliver a stunning performance, shattering Sri Lanka’s hopes on Day 2 of the Galle Test Match. Discover the highlights and analysis here.

Introduction:

In a thrilling display of resilience and aggression, Australia stamped their authority on the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle, propelled by Usman Khawaja’s maiden Test double century and a rapid century by debutant Josh Inglis. Their stellar performances, along with a strong bowling attack, ensured Australia had a commanding position by the end of day two, leaving Sri Lanka in a perilous spot.
See also: Steven Smith Reaches 10000 Test Runs

Khawaja’s Historic Knock: A Testimony to Resilience

Usman Khawaja’s 232 was truly phenomenal. The left-hander reached his maiden Test double hundred, the highest of his previous career high of 195 against South Africa in 2023. For a batsman who has suffered with spin earlier in his career, Khawaja proved immaculate technique on a slow Galle pitch. His innings was a blend of patience and aggression as he built up his knock with great care against a Sri Lankan attack that looked toothless throughout his stay.

Khawaja
Image Source: Cricinfo

The 38-year-old, who had been having a lean patch in recent years, especially against spin in subcontinent conditions, silenced his critics with an elegant display of batting. He also became the second Australian after Allan Border to score Test centuries in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, thus underlining his adaptability across challenging conditions. Khawaja celebrated his milestone by kneeling and bowing to the turf, much to the delight of Australian supporters in the crowd.

Khawaja
Image Source: Cricinfo

His association with Steven Smith was the foundation of Australia’s imposing total. The duo constructed a giant 266-run stand that took the game away from Sri Lanka. Smith, who had earlier completed a milestone 10,000 Test runs and had also scored a 141-run century, was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, trapped LBW by Sri Lanka’s leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay. See also: Australia Eyes Victory Over Sri Lanka on Day 3

Khawaja
Image Source: Cricinfo

Inglis’ Debut Century: A Dream Start to Test Career

While still making his own mark, Josh Inglis marked his Test debut with a blazing 102 of 94 balls. The Western Australia wicket-keeper did well on his debut to a Test match as a specialist batter and was highly composed and mature for such a challenge. Inglis was the first Australian debutant to score a century since Adam Voges in 2015 and is now one of the very few to achieve the feat with Michael Clarke and Shaun Marsh who both scored on their Test debut in Asia.

Khawaja
Image Source: Cricinfo

Inglis’ century came off just 90 balls, and his aggressive strokeplay and impressive footwork against spin underlined his readiness for the top level of the game. His ability to counter the slow surface of Galle by either skipping down the track or rocking back into his crease proved to be pivotal. His knock had several powerful drives and reverse sweeps, and it looked comfortable enough even against Sri Lanka’s more experienced spinners.

Inglis celebrated his knock with his parents, visibly shaken by their appearance in the stands. Even when he was sent back for 102, the damage was already done, and his knock solidified the faith of the selectors in him as a future superstar.

Sri Lanka’s Failures in the Field and with the Ball

Australia’s 654 for 6 declared left Sri Lanka with a mountain to climb, and their top order soon crumbled under pressure. After spending 154 overs in the field, Sri Lanka’s openers, Oshada Fernando and Dimuth Karunaratne, were dismissed within the first five overs of their reply. The Sri Lankan team’s inability to handle Australia’s relentless attack on a slow surface was evident. Fernando was the first to go, dismissed by the left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, playing his first Test match in almost two years.

Kuhnemann was the trump card, snaring Fernando LBW for only 7 from his first over. The left-arm spinner has recovered from an injury to a thumb he had suffered during his stint in January in the Big Bash League to make an impact straight away; he gave Australia an early opportunity. Karunaratne could not last too long either. He edged the short-of-a-length delivery coming from Mitchell Starc to the gully and substitute fielder Nathan McSweeney took the catch.

Mitchell Starc was the only frontline fast bowler to Australia, so Kuhnemann was up for sharing the new ball with him. The batsmen of Sri Lanka were left to fathom a well-rounded Australian attack. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon had his first real contribution to the match since coming into the series against India. He picked the wicket of Angelo Mathews, thereby highlighting that it was a fantastic, short-leg catch by Travis Head.

An Up Hill Battle of Sri Lanka’s Response

In their attempts to hamper Sri Lanka’s response, the hosts experienced a string of misfields and missed opportunities. The bowlers failed to fire as well; though Prabath Jayasuriya has previously enjoyed some success against Australia, he didn’t repeat it on this occasion. Jayasuriya took 12 wickets on this same ground during 2022 but was quite ordinary on the third day to finish with woeful figures of 3 for 193 off 60 overs. Australia batted aggressively with some disciplined effort.

Sri Lanka could not capitalize on the rain break as well. The bowling side had nothing to do against the stern attack by Khawaja and Inglis as they ensured Australia scored all the runs possible before Smith declared the innings. Sri Lanka’s top order came under immediate pressure as soon as the play resumed after the rain break, and they had nothing to do against the dominance of the Australians, who reached only 44 for 3 at the end of day two.

Conclusion: Australia in Command

At the end of the day, Australia had firmly placed themselves in the driver’s seat. Their commanding performance with the bat and disciplined bowling left Sri Lanka with a challenging task ahead. With the weather forecast uncertain and the pitch offering little assistance, Australia’s aggressive approach put them in the best possible position to take a lead in the series.

The standout players of the match were Khawaja and Inglis, and the whole team played with much resilience and skill that forced Sri Lanka into a very precarious position. Australia looks forward to furthering their lead while Sri Lanka will have the onerous task of staging a comeback in the Test match.

Author

  • Ideapot

    Welcome to my world! I'm Goutam Kumar Dutta, the brains behind this platform. As an author and the proud owner of this site, I'm on a mission to bring you the latest and most intriguing sports news from various genres. But it's not just about sports - entertainment in all its forms also captivates my interest. Whether it's analyzing the latest match or delving into the world of entertainment, I strive to provide comprehensive coverage and valuable insights.

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