DHAKA: Sri Lanka beat visiting Australia by 106-run in the first test at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in the city of Kandy on Saturday (July 30).

Young Kusal Mendis set the tempo in the second innings by scoring a blazing 176-run helping Sri Lanka set 268-run target after the team’s poor show in the first innings.

Later, it was the veteran left arm spinner Rangana Herath who picked up five for to demolish the visitors in the second innings. He took nine wickets in the match.

Australia managed to score 161-run only, conceding their overall second test match defeat to the sub-continent team. It was Steven Smith’s first loss as Australia’s Test captain.

Earlier, Sri Lanka lost all their wickets scoring only 117-run. Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva scored 20 and 24 runs respectively. Lyon and Hazlewood picked up three wickets each while Starc and O’Keefe took two wickets each.

Lyon completed his 200th wicket and became the third off-spinner from the non-Asian teams to take 200 or more Test wickets. Lance Gibbs (309) and Graeme Swann (255) are the others.

In response, Australia scored 203 runs taking a lead of 86-run. Voges, Mitchell Marsh and Captain Steve Smith hit 47, 31 and 30 runs respectively. Herath and debutant Lakshan Sandakan picked up four wickets each while Nuwan Pradeep took other two.

In their second innings, Kusal Mendis applied his technique and hit a match winning 176-run innings. Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva and Herath scored 42, 36 and 35 runs setting 268-run target for Australia to chase.

Starc took four wickets while Hazlewood and Lyon took two wickets each.

In response, Aussie opener David Warner returned to pavilion scoring only 1-run after scoring a duck in the first innings. Last time an Australia opener made fewer runs from two innings in a Test than David Warner was Mark Taylor who had got a pair v Pak in Karachi in 1994.

At one stage visitors lost eight wickets in just 56.1-over scoring 157-run. Then Nevill and O'Keefe began the staunch period of resistance which saw 23 maiden overs on the trot. The partnership scored 4-run from 178-ball!

However, the Lankan spinners remained patient and bowled tight lines to find a way to bowl Australia out to grab the match to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Kusal Mendis was adjudged the player of the match.

BDST: 1804 HRS, JUL 30, 2016
SR/RR/SMS