Australia v Sri Lanka Test 1 Day 3: Storms threaten crushing win as Aussies seek decisive plan
More storms are forecast on Saturday as Galle’s fickle weather threatens to prevent a crushing Australian victory in the first Test.
More storms are forecast on Saturday as Galle’s fickle weather threatens to prevent a crushing Australian victory in the first Test.
Sri Lanka ended a rain-marred day three at 5-136, still 518 runs behind the Aussies’ first innings total.
Only 27 overs were bowled on Friday - all pre-lunch - before the heavens opened. There was a brief window at around 2pm local time during which further play looked likely. Australian coaching staff had even started moving gear onto the ground for a warm-up, only to be ushered off ahead of an impending thunderstorm.
The day was ultimately abandoned at 3:30, leaving Australia with two days to take the 15 wickets that would ensure the retention of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Saturday looms as another wet one although the forecast has improved for day five.
Enforcing the follow-on shapes as the tourists’ most likely path to victory.
“Obviously, got to take wickets, but I’m sure Smudge (captain Steve Smith) and Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) will get together tonight or after today’s play and come up with a plan, and we’ll go from there,” spinner Matt Kuhnemann said.
Veteran batter Dinesh Chandimal remains unbeaten on 63, having provided about the only resistance of note for Sri Lanka. Kusal Mendis is 10 not out.
Dangerman Kamindu Mendis became Mitchell Starc’s second victim when caught behind down the leg side for 15 early on day three.
Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva copied Australia’s template by batting aggressively for his 22 only to be stumped off Kuhnemann while dancing down the wicket.
Australia leaned heavily on its three-pronged spin monster, who have combined for 34 of the 42 overs bowled thus far. All-rounder Beau Webster had not been needed for any seam offerings to this stage.
Chandimal - who struck a double century when these sides last met in a Test in mid-2022 - batted assuredly for the most part, albeit edging Nathan Lyon early in the day.
“He’s batting beautifully at the moment,” Kuhnemann said.
“Playing some lovely shots against all of us, really. So just whether or not (we try) to block that boundary option for him and sort of get him defending, sort of get him out caught, bat pads, slip and whatnot. So I think if we bowl our best balls, hopefully the wicket can look after it for us.”
Australia had declared at 6-554 late on day two after debutant Josh Inglis followed Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith in reaching three figures.
Kuhnemann rejected the suggestion that the Aussies had batter for too long.
“I think the boys batted beautifully, and (we) saw today there’s a bit more spin. So the first couple of days are always the best time to bat. There’s still two more days to go,” Kuhneman said.
“They played some beautiful shots today. There’s definitely a bit more spin. It’s just just how we sort of adapt to the conditions with the game moving forward. But hopefully it starts to spin a bit more.”
That Kuhnemann is playing at all is remarkable given he suffered a fracture and compound dislocation in his right thumb playing in the Big Bash League earlier this month.
But the tweaker, playing his first Test since 2023, said he was not being troubled by the injury.
“My thumb’s been fine…so far so good,” he said.
The Aussies are vying for their first Test series win in Sri Lanka in 2011, which itself is one of just two Australian Test series victories on Asian soil in more than 18 years.
A drawn series will be enough for the tourists to retain the trophy, but should Sri Lanka escape then the second Test - also at Galle - will serve as a decider.
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Originally published as Australia v Sri Lanka Test 1 Day 3: Storms threaten crushing win as Aussies seek decisive plan
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