SL vs AUS, 1st Test Day 2, Highlights: Sri Lanka Stumble After Australia Declare On 654/6

We are back! The umpires and players are back out. The Sri Lankan players are wearing black armbands today in memory of Bernard Rulach, who sadly passed away this morning. Oshada Fernando and Dimuth Karunaratne are the openers for Sri Lanka. Mitchell Starc has the new cherry and will start the proceedings for Australia. Here we go!

... THE THIRD INNINGS ...

22 years have passed since Australia last enforced a follow-on, and this decision was certainly a no-brainer. With momentum firmly on their side and the sun beating down bright, their spinners will be eager to extract even more from the surface. Sri Lanka, with everything stacked against them, must look to bat with greater resolve and at least put up a fight. While weather could potentially come to their rescue later, their primary focus should be on survival and resistance. Action to resume in a bit.

The Australian bowlers were relentless. Matthew Kuhnemann led the charge with a brilliant five-fer, while Nathan Lyon, who had struggled earlier in the innings, found his rhythm on Day 4, breaking the back of Sri Lanka’s resistance by dismissing Chandimal for 72 runs and finishing with three wickets to his name.

Starting their innings with a mountain to climb, staring at 654 runs, Sri Lanka had a disastrous start, losing three wickets for just 30 runs by the end of Day 2. Dinesh Chandimal fought bravely, anchoring the innings amid continuous wickets falling at the other end. He tried to build meaningful partnerships with Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis, but regular breakthroughs kept Sri Lanka in a downward spiral.

Sri Lanka’s first innings has come to a crashing halt at 165, leaving them a massive deficit of 489 runs, and it seems inevitable that Australia will enforce the follow-on. Having bowled just over 52 overs, and with the rain-induced break on Day 3 providing ample rest, the Australians will be eager to press for a swift finish, especially with weather concerns looming large for the later part of the day.

OUT! CAUGHT! It was just a matter of time and Matthew Kuhnemann gets his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, impressive from him. Tosses this one up nicely and on a slightly fuller length on off. The ball dips and turns away as Jeffrey Vandersay looks to just reach for it and hit it away. The ball ends up getting sliced in the ait and towards the cover region where Mitchell Starc takes a simple catch and Sri Lanka are bowled out for just 165 runs. Australia have a first innings lead of 489 runs and we might see the Aussies impose their first follow-on in Asia since 2002.

FOUR! That's one way to get off the mark! Dropped well short and wide, asking to be hit, Jeffrey Vandersay rocks back and slaps the ball away through cover-point for a boundary.

Full and angled across off, Asitha Fernando looks to block but squeezes it off the toe end past the first slip.

Asitha Fernando is the last batter to walk in for Sri Lanka.

OUT! CAUGHT! Snared at short leg! Nathan Lyon stays around the wicket and tosses it up on a dragged length around middle. Nishan Peiris leans on to block but ends up getting and inside edge onto the pads and the ball lobs up to the right of short leg where Josh Inglis takes a sharp catch, his first in Test cricket and Australia are just one wicket away from bundling Sri Lanka out.

FOUR! Nicely played! Fractionally short and outside off, Nishan Peiris rocks back and cuts it late and the ball goes quickly past Beau Webster at second slip and into the deep third fence.

Nice and full again, on middle, Nishan Peiris makes another block.

Fuller delivery, darted in on middle and leg, blocked off.

Close but not close enough! Good length on off, Nishan Peiris leaves it on length and expects it to turn but it goes straight on and just goes over the top of off.

On a dragged length and around off, turning away, Vandersay presses back and pushes it down through the silly point region and looks for one but is sent back.

Marginally short and angling into the pads, Nishan Peiris works it away past square leg for a single.

On a length and around off, Nishan Peiris blocks it off.

Just short! Tossed up, on a fuller length and on middle, Nishan Peiris looks to block but gets an inside edge that goes down to the short leg that is dead square of the stumps.

Over the wicket to the left-hander, good energy into this delivery but just angles it down leg.