Australia v Sri Lanka: Usman Khawaja blasts 100, Steve Smith reaches 10,000 run mark

Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith made Sri Lanka pay for missed chances, with the veteran pair both posting centuries as Australia dominated a landmark opening day at Galle.

Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith made Sri Lanka pay for missed chances, with the veteran pair both posting centuries as Australia dominated a landmark opening day at Galle International Stadium.

Khawaja ended a 19-month Test century drought while Smith finally reached the 10,000 run milestone in the format as the tourists careered towards a whopping first innings total before rain arrived late in the day with the Aussies 2-330.

Smith notched his 35th Test ton and third in four Tests by driving Nishan Peiris through cover shortly before the interruption. The stand-in skipper was unbeaten on 104 with Khawaja on 147.

Steve Smith scored his 10,000th run in Tests along with his 35th century. Picture: AFP

Aussie selectors’ call to drop Sam Konstas looked vindicated as Travis Head returned to the top and provided a springboard for Australia to score at better than four an over after Smith won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test.

Khawaja, 38, became the oldest man to score a Test ton for Australia since Steve Waugh in mid-2003 by clipping paceman Asitha Fernando to the fine leg boundary midway through the second session.

The opener’s 16th Test century was replete with sublime reverse sweeps, a far cry from his repeated struggles in Asia across the first half of his international career.

It was an innings that will also silence those who had claimed Khawaja was a spent force at the level after a barren run since his last century at the level in the first Ashes Test of 2023.

Wednesday’s knock was not chanceless though, with Khawaja dropped twice off Prabath Jayasuriya - a low opportunity put down at slip on 54, an inside edge on 90 that bobbled off Khawaja’s pad but could not be snaffled by Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis. He was also lucky to survive a non-reviewed edge on 75 off Jayasuriya.

Australia's Usman Khawaja celebrates after scoring a century. Picture: AFP

Having been stranded one shy of the milestone at his home Test in Sydney, Smith nudged Jayasuriya past mid-on to reach the mark, raising his bat to the crowd and embracing Khawaja after achieving the feat. But Smith could have easily been stuck on 10,000, put down later in the over after offering a return catch to the left-arm spinner, who had run through Australia on debut at this venue in mid-2022.

From there Smith was rarely troubled, using his feet liberally to ram home the advantage. Seeking to limit the damage, Sri Lanka employed negative bowling tactics, with Jayasuriya repeatedly bowling outside the leg stump only to be padded away by Smith during a tedious stretch in the day’s final session.

After attacking from the outset, Head holed out to long-on for a 40-ball 57, handing Jayasuriya the first wicket. But the South Australian left-hander should not have made it that far, with the home side erroneously opting to review an lbw shout with Head on 23 off Fernando’s bowling that would have been overturned on DRS.

Travis Head blasted his way to a 40-ball 57 in his return to the top of the order. Picture: AFP

Marnus Labuschagne was the only member of the Aussie top order to miss out. The No. 3 was troubled by Sri Lanka’s legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and eventually edged to first slip on 20.

Both sides opted for three frontline spinners on a dry deck, meaning Scott Boland - player of the match in Australia’s most recent Test at the start of the month - was omitted, his Victorian teammate Todd Murphy getting the nod alongside Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann.

However it was the omission of Konstas that hogged the headlines, with Head’s shift paving the way for Josh Inglis - named at No. 5 - to receive his baggy green from Geoff Marsh.

Selector on duty Tony Dodemaide defended the call to drop teen star Konstas, a move that has been criticised by the legendary Ricky Ponting.

“Leaving Sammy out was a very difficult thing,” Dodemaide said.

Josh Inglis receives his cap before play started. Picture: Getty Images

“There was a long discussion there. We feel though that he’s on a remarkable journey. He’s a hugely talented player, hasn’t played a lot in this part of the world but he’ll learn quickly obviously. The opportunity to have him here, not to say that Test two is out of the question obviously depending on what happens here, but the opportunity to give Nathan McSweeney, Cooper Connolly and even now Ollie Peake (a chance to tour the subcontinent) is an investment in the future.

“There’s a lot to like and be impressed about Sam. One of the things is his ability to take things in his stride. It’s remarkable really, whether it’s playing in front of 90,000 and Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG or getting told that you’re left out of the Test. He was like, ‘Oh yeah mate, no stress. I get it.’ He’s just having the time of his life at the moment, a year ago he was playing Under-19s World Cup, now he’s had a taste of Test cricket but he’s also really keen to develop his entire game. His learning opportunities, he’s just really enjoying himself. His game will develop, we’re confident of that, we feel he’s got a massive future in the game but for this Test and this series here, we thought the structure with Heady at the top was going to work better for us.”

Relive all the action in Galle live below.

Originally published as Australia v Sri Lanka: Usman Khawaja blasts 100, Steve Smith reaches 10,000 run mark