Sri Lanka recorded their second-ever Test win over Australia as the hosts’ won the first Test by 106 runs on Saturday at Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
Peter Neville and Steve O’Keefe delayed the win blocking 178 balls, scoring 4 runs for the 9th wicket but the rains which interrupted throughout the course of the game stayed away as Sri Lanka defeated the world no.1 Test team after 17 years. Sri Lanka’s last Test win against Australia came on 11th September, 1999 at Asgiriya under Sanath Jayasuriya.
Kusal Mendis’ exceptional 176 in the 2nd innings which turned the game on its head won him the man-of-the-match award while experienced campaigner Rangana Herath bowled his heart out to pick up 9 wickets in the match including 5 for 54 on the final day.
Earlier the morning showers delayed the start by an hour, the first session was scheduled to be a 90-minute affair, Herath struck gold when he dismissed Adam Voges for 12 in the 8th over of the morning through a return catch which needed the confirmation from the TV umpire. Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh looked to take the game away from the hosts’ with a positive 43-run stand for the 5th wicket.
Mathews used his off-spinners, Dilruwan Perera and Dhananjaya De Silva during most of the time Smith and Marsh were at the crease but he finally brought his ace spinner, Herath and trapped Marsh right in front of the wicket for 25.
Live Text Commentary
Smith was given caught behind off Sandakan but the Australian skipper opted for a review which showed clear daylight between bat and ball. In the very next over, Smith was caught plumb in front as Herath took his 4th wicket.
Smith made the only Australian half-century of the game, 55 off 125 deliveries with just one boundary off Sandakan. Just before the lunch break, Mitchell Starc was caught and bowled by Sandakan as the Aussies were at some serious trouble at 141 for 7.
In the post-lunch session, Nathan Lyon was struck by a massive-turning Sandakan delivery and ruled out LBW for 8. Lyon opted for a review but the replays showed it would not miss the stumps.
Sri Lanka v Australia – Tournament HUB
In the 79th over, O’Keefe survived a huge appeal for a bat-pad dismiss off Dhananjaya de Silva but umpire Richard Kettleborough turned down the decision and Sri Lanka were out of reviews.
Two overs later, O’Keefe was given out lbw by Kettleborough. His own review showed an inside edge and he was saved but his luck was short-lived as Herath skid one through the bat and pad gate in the 89th over to end the game.
Full Scorecard
| Batsmen | Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Dimuth Karunarathne | LBW b Starc | 5 | 12 |
| Kaushal Silva | c Voges b Hazelwood | 4 | 25 |
| Kusal Mendis | LBW b Hazelwood | 8 | 7 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | c Nevill b Hazelwood | 15 | 54 |
| AD Mathews | c Smith b O’Keefe | 15 | 24 |
| Dhananjaya De Silva | c Burns b Lyon | 24 | 38 |
| Kusal Janith Perera | b Lyon | 20 | 15 |
| Dilruwan Perera | LBW b Lyon | 0 | 2 |
| Rangana Herath | LBW b Starc | 6 | 10 |
| Lakshan Sandakan | Not Out | 19 | 15 |
| Nuwan Pradeep | c Smith b O’Keefe | 0 | 4 |
| Extras (1) | TOTAL | 117 (34.2 overs) |
Fall of wickets :1-6 (Karunaratne, 4.1 ov), 2-15 (Mendis, 5.3 ov), 3-18 (Silva, 9.1 ov), 4-43 (Mathews, 14.2 ov), 5-67 (Chandimal, 25.6 ov), 6-87 (de Silva, 28.2 ov), 7-87 (MDK Perera, 28.4 ov), 8-94 (MDKJ Perera, 30.2 ov), 9-100 (Herath, 31.6 ov), 10-117 (Pradeep, 34.2 ov)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Mitchell Starc | 11 | 1 | 51 | 2 |
| Josh Hazelwood | 10 | 4 | 21 | 3 |
| Steve O’Keefe | 10.2 | 3 | 32 | 2 |
| Nathan Lyon | 3 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| Batsmen | Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Joe Burns | b Herath | 3 | 15 |
| David Warner | b Pradeep | 0 | 5 |
| Usman Khawaja | LBW b Herath | 26 | 62 |
| Steve Smith | st Chandimal b Herath | 30 | 53 |
| Adam Voges | ct Mendis b Pradeep | 47 | 115 |
| Mitchell Marsh | b Sandakan | 31 | 63 |
| Peter Neville | ct Perera b Herath | 2 | 11 |
| Steve O’Keefe | ct Mendis b Sandakan | 23 | 80 |
| Mitchell Starc | ct Perera b Sandakan | 11 | 29 |
| Nathan Lyon | LBW b Sandakan | 17 | 25 |
| Josh Hazelwood | Not Out | 2 | 18 |
| Extras (11) | TOTAL | 203 (79.2 overs) |
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Warner, 2.2 ov), 2-7 (Burns, 3.6 ov), 3-69 (Smith, 21.2 ov), 4-70 (Khawaja, 23.2 ov), 5-130 (Marsh, 45.4 ov), 6-137 (Nevill, 48.3 ov), 7-160 (Voges, 62.1 ov), 8-179 (Starc, 69.5 ov), 9-190 (O’Keefe, 73.6 ov), 10-203 (Lyon, 79.2 ov)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Nuwan Pradeep | 16 | 6 | 36 | 2 |
| Rangana Herath | 25 | 8 | 49 | 4 |
| Dilruwan Perera | 14 | 1 | 43 | 0 |
| Lakshan Sandakan | 21.2 | 3 | 58 | 4 |
| Angelo Mathews | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Batsmen | Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Kusal Janith | LBW b Starc | 4 | 5 |
| Kaushal Silva | LBW b O’Keefe | 7 | 32 |
| Dimuth Karunarathne | LBW b Starc | 0 | 3 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Neville b Starc | 176 | 254 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Burns b Lyon | 9 | 31 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | LBW b Marsh | 42 | 100 |
| Dhananjaya De Silva | c Khawaja b Lyon | 36 | 62 |
| Dilruwan Perera | LBW b Hazelwood | 12 | 22 |
| Rangana Herath | c Henriques b Hazelwoood | 35 | 34 |
| Lakshan Sandakan | b Starc | 9 | 7 |
| Nuwan Pradeep | Not Out | 10 | 12 |
| Extras (13) | TOTAL | 353 (93.4 overs) |
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (MDKJ Perera, 2.2 ov), 2-6 (Karunaratne, 2.5 ov), 3-45 (Silva, 12.2 ov), 4-86 (Mathews, 27.1 ov), 5-203 (Chandimal, 58.1 ov), 6-274 (de Silva, 77.3 ov), 7-290 (Mendis, 82.1 ov), 8-314 (MDK Perera, 87.4 ov), 9-323 (Sandakan, 88.5 ov), 10-353 (Herath, 93.4 ov)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Mitchell Starc | 19 | 4 | 84 | 4 |
| Josh Hazelwood | 18.4 | 3 | 59 | 2 |
| Steve O’Keefe | 16.2 | 3 | 42 | 1 |
| Nathan Lyon | 27 | 2 | 108 | 2 |
| David Warner | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Adam Voges | 1.4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Mitchell Marsh | 9 | 1 | 33 | 1 |
| Steve Smith | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Batsmen | Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Joe Burns | b Sandakan | 29 | 57 |
| David Warner | b Herath | 1 | 4 |
| Usman Khawaja | LBW b Perera | 18 | 26 |
| Steve Smith | LBW b Herath | 55 | 125 |
| Adam Voges | c & b Herath | 12 | 47 |
| Mitchell Marsh | LBW b Herath | 25 | 37 |
| Peter Nevill | c Chandimal b De Silva | 9 | 115 |
| Mitchell Starc | c & b Sandakan | 0 | 3 |
| Nathan Lyon | LBW b Sandakan | 8 | 16 |
| Steve O’Keefe | b Herath | 4 | 98 |
| Josh Hazelwood | Not Out | 0 | 7 |
| Extras (0) | TOTAL | 161 (83.3 overs) |
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Warner, 1.2 ov), 2-33 (Khawaja, 8.1 ov), 3-63 (Burns, 17.6 ov), 4-96 (Voges, 34.2 ov), 5-139 (Marsh, 47.3 ov), 6-140 (Smith, 49.4 ov), 7-141 (Starc, 50.2 ov), 8-157 (Lyon, 56.1 ov), 9-161 (Nevill, 85.5 ov), 10-161 (O’Keefe, 88.3 ov)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Nuwan Pradeep | 6 | 3 | 16 | 0 |
| Rangana Herath | 33.3 | 16 | 54 | 5 |
| Dilruwan Perera | 13 | 3 | 30 | 1 |
| Lakshan Sandakan | 25 | 8 | 49 | 3 |
| Dhananjaya De Silva | 11 | 7 | 12 | 1 |
