1st Test Match SL vs AUS 2019

SL vs  AUS match

Sri Lanka Beat Australia

In

1^st Test Match

Australia win by an innings and 40 runs

Test 01 of 02 (AUS Lead 1-0)

Australia - 323

Sri Lanka - 144 & 139/9

v Cummins leads Australia to an innings win over hapless Sri Lanka

v Australia on course as Cummins reduces Sri Lanka to 74/5 by tea

v Australia in the driver's seat; establish a 162-run lead at stumps

v Lakmal fifer helps Sri Lanka bowl Australia out for 323

v Richardson, Cummins star as Australia bowl Sri Lanka out for 144

Pat Cummins led another outstanding bowling performance by the hosts, claiming 6/23 to help defeat Sri Lanka by an innings and 40 runs within three days of the first Test on Saturday, 26 January.

Sri Lanka's batsmen didn't have many answers as Cummins bowled fast and short. He had dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne with the final ball on the second day, and it didn't take him long to open his account the next morning. With just his second ball of the day, he got one to climb from a good length to have Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain, caught at gully for a duck.

Then, in his next over, he induced an edge off Kusal Mendis (1), who attempted a drive when patience was what was required, with Cummins getting the ball to swing and bounce.

That said, Roshen Silva did display a lot of patience, but Cummins wasn't to be denied. He got the batsman on the backfoot with a few slower deliveries, and then bowled a surprise fuller one to take the nick to second slip.

Lahiru Thirimanne, resuming at 6, looked the most solid. He and Dhananjaya de Silva were able to get a partnership going, with Cummins has given a break from his blistering spell. However, it didn't last too long. The debutant Jhye Richardson bowled an excellent yorker to get past the latter's defense, and that partnership of 34 for the fifth wicket was the highest Sri Lanka managed.

Cummins continued to wreak havoc in his second spell and got Thirimanne for 32 with another one that nipped away to take the edge.

Niroshan Dickwella, typically, decided to play his natural game to try and transfer some of the pressure back onto the hosts. His 39-ball knock featured four boundaries, but he played one shot too many and miscued a short ball from Richardson straight to Marcus Harris at square leg.

Dilruwan Perera was the next to fall and his wicket was as much a result of exceptional fielding as it was bowling. Cummins got the ball to straighten from a good length to take the outside edge as Perera (9) played a checked drive. The ball seemed set to evade the man at gully, but Kurtis Patterson leaped to take a one-handed blinder.

Suranga Lakmal sought to counter-attack and did quite a good job while he lasted, driving and cutting Starc rather elegantly. But there was only so much he could do. Lyon beat him in flight and had him stumped for 24. The wicket brought an end to the innings with Lahiru Kumara unable to bat due to injury, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 139.

Their batsmen have plenty to do before the second Test in Canberra, starting from 2 February.