Smoking streaker’s X-rated dig does little to stop Aussie domination in first Test

Only rain and a streaker managed to stop the Aussie momentum on day one of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka.

Australia are well in control of the first Test against Sri Lanka.

In what was a perfect opening day for the visitors, their laser focus couldn’t even be broken

by a smoking streaker waving an X-rated sign.

Watch every ball of The 2025 Women’s Ashes Series LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

After winning the toss in Galle, Australia put it to the hosts from ball one, with Travis Head taking his promotion up to opener with both hands.

His 57 off just 40 balls silenced the Sri Lankan crowd and gave a platform to the likes of Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith to belt centuries.

Australia were 2-330 when rain forced stumps to be called 20 minutes early at 4.40pm, with only the wet weather and a streaker causing any trouble to the Aussies on day one.

After Smith brought up a 35th Test century, a cigarette-smoking pitch invader briefly halted Australia’s period of dominance.

A pitch invader is taken from the ground during day one of the First Test (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The man, wearing just a pair of white bonds underpants, took to the ground waving about an inappropriate sign referencing Head’s surname. But as the smoking streaker failed to put the Aussies off their game, Sri Lanka resorted to very negative tactics in the final hour of play to halt the run rate.

The hosts set heavy leg-side fields and consistently bowled outside the line with the sole goal of stemming the scoring in the final hour.

At one point, wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis even set up outside leg stump as the Aussie continued to pad away several deliveries well down leg-side.

While the Aussies scored at will in the first two sessions, the runs were at a premium in the final session, almost exclusively due to the hosts’ negative bowling tactics.

Steve Smith celebrates after scoring a century (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

And the move didn’t go down with cricket fans, who called out the poor display online.

‘Embarrassing bowling from Sri Lanka, they’ve given up already,” one fan wrote.

While another said: “This is tepid garbage from Sri Lanka. Bowling wide outside leg stump inside the first-day stinks.”

A third took to X to write: “Extremely negative bowling by Sri Lanka at the moment, not sure what the answer is but not great for the game.”

Originally published as Smoking streaker’s X-rated dig does little to stop Aussie domination in first Test