Australia pads up in the opening Test to a Sri Lanka that has beaten political and economic toil

The second day of the second Test in June 2022 when Australia last visited these shores was the day when the people of Sri Lanka took back their freedom on top of the iconic Galle Fort that sits above the cricket ground. Life is back to normal in Galle – but the cricket promises to be another challenge.

Australia's Travis Head, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland attend a practice session at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka.

It is still one of the most emotional moments I’ve been a part of on live radio as a cricket commentator. The second day of the second Test in June 2022 when Australia last visited these shores. But more importantly, the day when the people of Sri Lanka took back their freedom on top of the iconic Galle Fort that sits above the ground. The day they reclaimed their freedom.

It was when this gorgeous island nation had been besieged by extreme political turmoil and the worst economic crisis it’d ever seen. No fuel. No power. No gas. And a nationwide protest for change at the very top of the government. There we were, calling a cricket match amid what was obviously a history-defining moment for Sri Lanka. The reason the revolution had even reached the fort was because the police and military had taken over the iconic landmark to avoid having the TV cameras catch any of it while the match was on. Yes, this revolution was not being televised.

That made our job on radio even more significant as we got the opportunity to tell the cricket world about this remarkable force of people power as hundreds took over the top of the fort. After days of resistance, even the police and the military laid down their arms. At 10.40am on July 9, 2022, the Galle Fort – which has stood since 1588 – was back in the hands of its people. By that afternoon, it felt like the entire country was as well. It also happened to be the day when the Sri Lankan team fought back bravely to quell the Australian challenge and make huge strides towards levelling the series.

It’s been so heartwarming then to see life around and inside the Galle Fort nearly back to normal this time around as the lovely people of Galle have reclaimed their fort for good.

Over the past two and a half years, it’s gone back to looking and feeling the way it used to be before the Covid pandemic.

Business is back as usual. The narrow streets within are now buzzing with activity like we had been accustomed to seeing. Europeans and Aussies and Asians and Indians fighting for space with the constant flow of tuktuks – or “three wheels” as they’re called here.

Tourists from the world over flocking the gem stores or sipping Lion lager and coffee on tables set on the pavement outside the multitude of bars and cafes. They are spoilt for culinary options, too, from the humble Sri Lankan curry houses to the best Italian food in Asia, according to very legitimate sources. And some incredibly good gelato shops too.

All you overhear as you walk past the many groups are plans being made for trips to go further south to surf or up north to experience the elephant safaris. I bumped into an Australian couple who are here partly for the cricket but who can’t wait to go visit the tea plantations closer to Kandy.

Tourism is booming all around the country, like it has been since the end of the political turmoil and the pandemic. There were 1.3 million tourist arrivals in 2023, with the number booming another 20 per cent last year. That generated around $A2.8b in revenue two years, and nearly doubled in 2024 – signs are promising already this year for the curve to remain steeply upwards. The energy around Galle Fort is a very exciting illustration of that.

“We’re still at around 75 per cent back to normal,” one of the prominent cafe owners on Pedlar Street, the busiest spot within the fort, tells me. “But the last two years have been amazing in terms of us bouncing back from the horrors of 2022, when it felt like we were hit by a financial and political tsunami.”

Rather positive stats, all of those, compared with the 70 per cent inflation and 65 per cent increase in power tariffs that everyday Sri Lankans had to contend with three years ago.

The sense of optimism right from the old Dutch fort to the more up-end restaurants with their seven-course degustation menus is pleasantly different to the sad scenes we witnessed here in 2022. Back when the same places that are now sending away potential customers without reservations were deserted. Completely empty with restaurant staff and at times even owners trying to cajole the odd tourist or foreigner to come in and bring them some business.

There was a conscious effort made by the handful of us, the Australian media, here on that tour to ensure we contributed as much as we could to the local economy. We visited a different establishment each night to spread the love around. But even then, the restaurant owners had eight-hour power cuts to endure and often not enough staff to cater to the few tourists who braved the circumstances to be there. Some cafes shut down for good, unable to cope with the crippling conditions imposed on them.

A couple of them have now reopened and are flourishing. It’s a country that has seen it all. From lengthy wars to political turmoil to economic disaster.

But through it all, it’s rarely lost its smile. And the most remarkable aspect on the last tour was the sense of overwhelming gratitude the Sri Lankans showed towards the Australian team for being here during such a difficult time for the nation. Whether it was the sea of yellow and ‘thank you Australia’ boards around a packed Premadasa Stadium for the fifth ODI or the outpouring of love for Pat Cummins and his team wherever they went. Not to mention

a group on top of Galle fort on that dramatic morning in the midst of protesting against their government leaders and reclaiming what is theirs.

The fort walls will be packed once more come Wednesday morning. But this time there’ll be no resistance to overcome or revolution to partake in. It’ll be about the cricket. It’ll be about supporting their team. It’ll be about the joy of being in Sri Lanka.