Live Coverage: Sri Lanka vs Australia Test Match
First Test live: Sri Lanka vs Australia in Galle
Test Match Updates
1h ago
18th over – Chandimal lives dangerously, but scores 12
Inning Highlights
2m ago
Chandimal using his feet again to start the over, comes down the track and hits it through the off side for two runs.
- FOUR! Excellent shot! Lyon goes a little shorter on leg stump and Chandimal gets on one knee and sweeps past backward square leg for a boundary.
- FOUR! EDGED! Brilliant delivery from Lyon. Gets one to go straight on and Chandimal edges it but it’s to the left of Smith at slip.
- I’m loving the speed Lyon’s bowling at here. He’s operating in the high 80s and low 90s and the ball is spitting up off the pitch.
- BEATEN! Another one goes straight across Chandimal from around the wicket. That angle is really troubling the right-hander.
- FOUR! Lovely response from Chandimal! Opts for the switch hit and whacks it through extra cover for a boundary. Good batting there. You’ve got to take the attack to Lyon.
17th over – Starc given a run to start the day
Match Progress
10m ago
Australia opting for some pace from the other end as Mitchell Starc gets set to run in.
- He bowled four overs yesterday and has figures of 1-10.
- He got some swing last night. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any movement for the left-armer today.
- A little bit of late shape away from Kamindu with the second delivery, although that’s a little too wide for Starc’s liking.
- BEATEN! This is a pearler from Starc. Pitches it on off stump and it seams away and beats Kamindu’s defensive prod.
- Some more away movement from Starc, but Kamindu leaves this one comfortably.
- Starc gets another one to go straight on and strikes Kamindu on the thigh pad, but this is too high. A muted appeal from Alex Carey behind the stumps.
- A lovely cover drive from Kamindu to end the over off a full delivery, but he can’t beat the in-field. Another terrific over.
16th over – Nathan Lyon to kick things off on day three
Bowling Strategy
14m ago
The GOAT has the ball in hand. He’s going to start around the wicket to Kamindu, the left-hander.
- A tidy start for Kamindu, who tucks one into the leg side. A little too short from Lyon.
- Lyon staying around the wicket to the right-handed Chandimal.
- He’s got a leg slip in to the right-hander as well as another man in close on the leg side in a catching position.
- Lyon seems to be bowling much quicker than the Sri Lankan spinners did, and he’s getting more out of the pitch as a result.
- CLOSE! Pitches one on off stump and it bites back at Chandimal and flicks his pad before lobbing past Alex Carey’s left shoulder.
- EDGE! Lyon finds the edge of Chandimal’s bat, but it lands a little short of Steve Smith at first slip. Excellent over!
Play underway in Galle
Match Commencement
15m ago
Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal striding out to the middle.
The Aussies are already out there. We’re about to get up and going.
How can Sri Lanka get out of jail here?
Match Analysis
27m ago
I’m interested to see what the pitch looks like this morning when Sri Lanka comes out to bat.
There was a lot of sharp turn on offer for the three Australian spinners late last night.
Australia’s batters had a lot of success using their feet throughout the first innings, and for some reason Sri Lanka didn’t employ the tactic themselves.
Both Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews succumbed trying to play from the crease.
Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal, the two men at the crease, showed some attacking intent and that seemed to unsettle the spinners a little bit.
They need to do more of the same today.
Sri Lanka needs to post 455 in the first innings to avoid the follow-on, that looks miles away at this stage.
If they’re to get to that score, these two at the crease will have to do the bulk of the heavy lifting.
The captain Dhananjaya de Silva is in next, followed by Kusal Mendis, but after that the batting falls away drastically.
Quick hits from day two in Galle
Match Summary
47m ago
There were broken records both good and bad on day two in Galle.
Have a read of our quick hits from yesterday’s play to catch up!
In case you missed yesterday’s action
Recap
57m ago
If you weren’t able to follow along during yesterday’s play, here’s our live blog which will get you up to speed.
Welcome!
Event Introduction
1h ago
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to ABC Sport’s live coverage from day three of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle!
It has been ALL Australia through the first two days, and it is hard to see how the home side can avoid a heavy loss.
They’ll be doing rain dances all around Sri Lanka, and I’m including myself in this ‘they’ contingent.
Play is set to start 10 minutes earlier today, roughly around 3:20pm AEDT due to another early finish last night.
Strap yourselves in as Jon Healy and I bring you all the live coverage!