Australia overwhelm morning meeting on the back of Head, Khawaja fifties
Australia's substitute skipper Steven Smith scored his 10,000th Trial after Travis Head supported his advancement up the batting-request with a quick 50 years on a sluggish Galle surface against a twist weighty Sri Lanka assault in the initial meeting of the series.
Smith scored the lone run required off his most memorable conveyance not long before lunch to join Ricky Ponting, Allan Boundary and Steve Waugh as the main Australians to accomplish the achievement.
Australia were compensated for a forceful methodology, yet Sri Lanka mounted a late meeting fightback with the excusals of Head for 57 and Marnus Labuschagne. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, an unexpected incorporation for Sri Lanka, turned the ball strongly and was compensated with the wicket of Labuschagne for 20.
Sri Lanka, notwithstanding, lamented botched chances to excuse Usman Khawaja and Smith not long before the span.
Not confronting victimizer Jasprit Bumrah, Khawaja has cut a casual figure and played with great purpose to arrive at lunch on 65 not out.
Head and Khawaja capitalized on great batting conditions with a 92-run opening organization.
In a to some degree disagreeable move, Head climbed from No.5 to the detriment of 19-year-old Sam Konstas, who had made an eye-getting start to his Test profession against India. The choice likewise permitted Josh Inglis, the Western Australia wicketkeeper and a prominent player of twist, to make his Test debut at five as an expert hitter.
Having recently battled s a center request hitter in Sri Lanka, Head had accomplishment as an opener in India on the 2023 visit and he repeated that in his 40-ball tornado. Head's quick strike-rate recommends pugnacious batting straight out of the as of late closed Large Slam Association, however he played shrewdly and for the most part in customary style.
With quick foot work skirting down the pitch, Head effectively designated Sri Lankan spinners Nishan Peiris and Prabath Jayasuriya and didn't allow them to choose a surface which at first had little turn.
Smith had no faltering to bat when the coin fell in support of himself in the midst of smothering dampness and a grassless surface. Head jumped on delinquent bowling from Asitha Fernando, Sri Lanka's sole cutting edge speedy, with three limits in the opening over.
Go to 23 off 13 and went for the kill quickly and without hesitation, yet he got some karma on the last bundle of Fernando's initial three-over spell when he was rapped on the cushions. Fernando had pursued overwhelmingly, however Sri Lanka selected against looking into in spite of the fact that replays recommended the not out choice would have been toppled.
Head made them pay as he returned to his baggygreen cap with the presentation of Jayasuriya, who obliterated Australia at the scene with a 12-wicket pull in his Test debut in 2022.
Head trudge cleared Peiris over profound midwicket prior to being hit on the cushion as a baffled Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva inspected however typically without much of any result.
Head arrived at his 50 years off 35 balls, yet fell soon after when he attempted to hit Jayasuriya over lengthy on however mis-hit to Dinesh Chandimal on the rope. Khawaja had been generally eclipsed, however had likewise shown an eagerness to skirt down the track like when he clubbed Peiris down the ground for six
Khawaja likewise spread out the converse compass to great impact to bother Jayasuriya and hit him for a limit through the empty offside. Khawaja arrived at his 50 years off 71 balls, however the game turned - in a real sense - with Vandersay creating sharp legspin every step of the way.
He created a Shane Warne-esque legbreak to whip Labuschagne all finishes on the main conveyance, while Peiris had an enormous lbw yell on the player turned down with DRS maintaining the choice.