Key events
Stumps: Australia lead by 73 runs
80th over: Australia 330-3 (Smith 120, Carey 139) Carey tucks Kumara’s final delivery off the pads for four to complete a marvellous day for Australia, who will surely wrap up a 2-0 series victory over the weekend – possibly tomorrow.
They looked in a bit of bother at 91 for 3, with the ball doing plenty and Sri Lanka’s spinners appealing for everything. Steve Smith and Alex Carey changed the momentum with the minimum of fuss and then batted for the rest of the day. Their fourth-wicket partnership is 239 from 51.1 overs.
Smith and Carey put the clinic in clinical, wearing Sri Lanka down and giving a lesson in how to dominate on a turning pitch. Smith did as he pleased in the afternoon session before tiring a little in the evening; Carey, promoted to No5 because of Josh Inglis’s back spasms, took up the reins and sped to his second Test hundred.
Sri Lanka had no answer to Carey’s sweeping, reverse and orthodox, and he thumped some lovely boundaries down the ground as well. Smith reviewed successfully after being given out LBW on 23. Even by that stage he was batting so well that a 36th Test century, and his fourth in the last five games, looked likely if not inevitable.
It’s hard to know what else to say. Two superb players, one an all-time great, played with oodles of intelligence and skill to break the spirit of a decent but limited team who expected to dominate on a fairly typical Galle track. The word is overused these days, not least by me, but that partnership really was a masterclass.
We’ll have a match report shortly, and I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon for the start of day three. The new ball is due, which should make the ball spit even more. Once this partnership is broken, expect the game to move pretty fast.
79th over: Australia 324-3 (Smith 120, Carey 133) Jayasuriya bowls his final over of an increasingly miserable day. Smith is beaten by the kind of jaffa that will have Matt Kuhnemann grinning from ear to ear; it exploded from middle stump and beat the bat comfortably.
78th over: Australia 321-3 (Smith 119, Carey 131) It’s 74 days since Australia were thrashed by India in Perth and the country went into meltdown. Feels forever ago. Their response could barely have been more admirable, or emphatic. If this match unfolds as we expect they’ll have won five out of six Tests since Perth, and the other one was a rain-affected day that they dominated.
77th over: Australia 318-3 (Smith 118, Carey 129) By playing so well on the first two days after losing the toss, Australia have made their first Test performance look even better. Batting first helped but they completely outplayed Sri Lanka, as they’re doing here.
Theer’s an argument – only an argument, don’t abuse me – that this is their most impressive performance in a series on the subcontinent since the wins in Sri Lanka and India in 2004. On balance I’d probably rate India away in 2016-17 more highly, even though they last the series, but it’s a decent debate and us nerds need those like oxygen.
76th over: Australia 316-3 (Smith 117, Carey 128) Lahiru Kumara, whose work today has consisted of two two-over spells, is given a burst before the close. He has two men on the drive for Carey but nobody who can stop a beautifully timed cover drive racing away for four more. Carey has batted like a world-class No5 today.
75th over: Australia 312-3 (Smith 117, Carey 124) Carey top-edges a reverse sweep off Jayasuriya, with the ball landing safely on the off side. These two have been at the crease for 50 overs, Smith even longer, and there have been one or two understandable signs of fatigue in the last half hour. Smith’s main focus is getting through to the close; he’s hit only one boundary in this session.
Five overs to go.
74th over: Australia 308-3 (Smith 115, Carey 123) The video of this partnership should be sent to any young batter preparing for a tour of the subcontinent. Sod it, to any batter of any age. Almost everything – placement, managing risk, reading length, the range of sweeps – has been immaculate.
Ramesh Mendis returns and beats Carey with a gorgeous delivery that curves in and spits away. Australia will not mind that one iota now that they have a decent lead.
73rd over: Australia 304-3 (Smith 111, Carey 121) Jayasuriya moves around the wicket and beats Smith with an unplayable delivery. “Which begs the question why he was bowling over the wicket for so long to Steve Smith,” says Simon Katich on Sky. “The only way to slow Steve Smith down is to knock him over. Sri Lanka are paying for that passage of play now.”
“While making comparisons with The Don,” says Rowan Sweeney, “I’m wondering whether Smith’s average while wearing the Baggy Green (literally speaking) would be higher than Bradman’s?”
Statsguru is good, but it’s not so good you can search for that. Shame you can’t have non-cricket filters; I’d love to see, for example, Garry Sobers’ batting average when he’d been out the night before. It was probably higher than when he stayed in.
72nd over: Australia 300-3 (Smith 110, Carey 119) Carey drives Peiris sweetly for four to bring up the 200 partnership, then carts him back over his head for a one-bounce four. What started as a supporting role is fast becoming the innings of Carey’s life.
71st over: Australia 290-3 (Smith 1079 Carey 110) Carey moves ahead of Smith with a thumping straight six off Jayasuriya. Since tea he has scored 61 of the 92 runs off the bat.
Nine overs to bowl tonight – and until the second new ball is available. It can’t come soon enough for Sri Lanka.
70th over: Australia 280-3 (Smith 106, Carey 103) Carey survives a run-out referral after being sent back by Smith; he was comfortably home.
“Smith and Dravid both have exactly 36 Test hundreds and 12 in ODIs, totalling 48,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Sachin’s 100 (51+49) looks as unbeatable as the 99.94.”
You say that but I’ve been working on my reverse sweep lately and that could be a gamechanger.
Alex Carey’s second Test hundred!
69th over: Australia 276-3 (Smith 104, Carey 101) Carey sweeps the new bowler Jayasuriya twice for four to reach a fabulous hundred from just 118 balls. It’s been a masterclass in sweeping, orthodox and reverse, and his second fifty came at exactly a run a ball. Carey may never have batted better than in the past 12 months and he fully deserves the reward of a second Test century.
68th over: Australia 267-3 (Smith 104, Carey 92) This has been a textbook example of a good team having their spirit crushed by a great opponent. If you could measure positivity of body language, Sri Lanka’s would have been gently trending downwards since around the 30th over.
Smith, who is turning to look a bit tired, doesn’t connect properly with a sweep and is hit on the pad. Sri Lanka go up but there’s no way Dhananjaya can risk the last review on that; there might have been an under edge and it was probably outside the line anyway.
Replays confirm there was plenty of bat involved. But Smith is starting to look tired and almost offers a return catch off the last ball of the over. Peiris was very slow to crouch down, though the ball may not have carried anyway.
Edit: yep, replays show it would have bounced short regardless.
67th over: Australia 267-3 (Smith 104, Carey 92) Ramesh Mendis changes ends to replace Kamindu, who bowled a generous spell of 3-0-18-0 to continue a disappointing personal series. It’s fascinating how a change of momentum can make a pitch look comfortably different. This morning it was fizzing everywhere; now Australia’s batters seem to have an age to play each stroke.
66th over: Australia 264-3 (Smith 102, Carey 91) Peiris replaces Ramesh Mendis. and is swept for two by Carey, who moves into the nineties as a result. It would have been four by for an excellent stop by the substitute Samarawickrama at deep backward square.
“Rob,” says Eamonn Maloney. “The name ‘Big Ange’ is proprietary limited where reporting on Australia-related sport is concerned dontcherknow.”
I’ve just checked Wikipedia and apparently his nicknames are Angie, Superman and Jocka. Not sure about Angelo Matthews though, honk.
65th over: Australia 260-3 (Smith 101, Carey 88) A chair is brought on for Smith to rest during the drinks break. He and Carey have collected runs so serenely that it’s easy to forget how sweltering it is in Galle.
A rank bad ball from Kamindu is despatched for four by Carey, which takes Australia into the lead. Carey is hurrying towards his century; maybe he has decided to get as many runs as possible before the humidity gets him.
Drinks: Australia trail by 3 runs
64th over: Australia 251-3 (Smith 101, Carey 79) That’s also Smith’s 17th Test hundred as captain. He averages 69.64 when in charge, second only to Don Bradman among those with at least 10 innings.
“G’day Rob,” says Chris Paraskevas. “Been battling the local heat today and at various points my concentration waned, despite the shades completely closed, air-con and zero movement off my c̶o̶u̶c̶h̶ chair/couch (save for trips to the fridge for Peanut M&Ms).
“While I’m struggling with Shane Warne Cricket 99’ under strict climate control conditions, Steve Smith is in Galle making it look so easy. Some people are not of this world.”
As an England fan, the sheer certainty of his batting in this series is evoking traumatic memories of the 2019 Ashes.
Steve Smith’s 36th Test century!!
63rd over: Australia 248-3 (Smith 100, Carey 77) Steve Smith carts Kamindu Mendis through midwicket for four to reach a brilliant century from 191 balls. He’s been in total control, busily solving whatever problems the pitch and the bowlers presented. It’s his 36th hundred in Tests, taking him level with Joe Root and Rahul Dravid, and his fourth in the last five matches.
62nd over: Australia 240-3 (Smith 95, Carey 74) Carey sweeps Ramesh very fine for four, with Big Ange wheezing after the ball from short fine leg. Sri Lanka look ready to call it a day; they still have 19 overs to bowl before stumps.
61st over: Australia 233-3 (Smith 93, Carey 69) Kamindu Mendis comes on for the first time in the series. He can bowl with either arm but is sending down right-arm offspin for now; two runs from a pretty accurate first over.
60th over: Australia 231-3 (Smith 92, Carey 68) Smith biffs a single down the ground to move within eight of his 36th Test hundred.
Smith is not out! In fact there was a scrape on the bat so we didn’t even get to ball-tracking. Sri Lanka are down to their last review.
Sri Lanka review for LBW against Smith!
Ramesh Mendis implores the umpire to give Smith out when he misses a reverse sweep. He declines so Dhananjaya goes upstairs. I think it’s missing leg, umpire’s call at best/worst.
59th over: Australia 230-3 (Smith 91, Carey 68) Smith moves into the nineties in another over of low-risk accumulation. Both batters have been so busy, putting pressure on Sri Lanka through boundaries and singles alike. Sri Lanka probably went on the defensive too early; even so, you have to be good enough to take advantage.
58th over: Australia 226-3 (Smith 89, Carey 66) Ramesh Mendis replaces Jayasuriya, who was very flat during a spell of 6-1-24-0 either side of tea. He goes up for LBW when Smith pushes defensively and is beaten on the inside; a lovely delivery but the impact was outside the line.
57th over: Australia 223-3 (Smith 88, Carey 65) A TV graphic tells us that 50 per cent of Carey’s scoring strokes against spin in this innings have been sweeps: 18 per cent reverse, 32 per cent orthodox.
Out of nothing, a roundarm delivery from Peiris turns and bounces grotesquely to beat Carey’s defensive push. Carey could have been holding two bats and I’m not sure he’d have edged it. Nathan Lyon is going to have a field day on this pitch in the second innings.
56th over: Australia 223-3 (Smith 88, Carey 66) Smith is annoyed with himself after whacking only a single from a full toss by Jayasuriya. Carey, the dominant partner since tea, punishes a short ball with a fine cut through the covers.
A wicket could change everything but at the moment Jayasuriya is bowling so poorly by his standards.
55th over: Australia 223-3 (Smith 85, Carey 60)
54th over: Australia 214-3 (Smith 84, Carey 60) The more replays we see of that Peiris delivery to Smith in the 47th over – and we’re almost in double figures – the harder it is to believe it didn’t dislodge the bails. That was then and this is now; a demoralised Jayasuriya, back over the wicket to the right-hander, is kicked and milked for three runs.
53rd over: Australia 211-3 (Smith 82, Carey 59) Both players have reverse swept excellently, Carey in particular, and he plays the stroke for consecutive twos off Peiris. A premditated lap just clears Kusal Mendis, who read the stroke and skipped towards where leg slip would be. No boundaries but still eight runs from the over; Australia are doing almost as they please.
52nd over: Australia 203-3 (Smith 81, Carey 52) Smith charges Jayasuriya, doesn’t get to the pitch and slices a lofted drive that teases long off before bouncing short. That was close. Smith flexes his back when he gets to the non-striker’s end; I think he’s okay.
Fifty for Alex Carey
51st over: Australia 199-3 (Smith 79, Carey 50) Carey drives Peiris for a single to reach a typically unobtrusive fifty from 68 balls. He’s been in excellent form since that matchwinning 98 not out at Christchurch a year ago, with a Test average of 59 in that time.
The players return to the field for the evening session. Alex Carey is wearing his helmet, Steve Smith just the Baggy Green. Nishan Peiris will open up.
Tea
50th over: Australia 197-3 (Smith 78, Carey 49) A piece of filth from Jayasuriya is heaved round the corner for four by Smith, who is closing in on his fourth century in the last five Tests. I’m not sure this defensive approach suits Jayasuriya, who is used to hunting wickets on the turning tracks of Galle. He has 75 wickets in only 10 Tests on this ground, including that debut 12-for against Australia in 2022, but he has looked pretty innocuous in this series.
Jayasuriya moves around the wicket for the last two balls of the session, both of which are played with ease by Smith. That completes a tremendous session for Australia, who scored 112 in 29 overs for the loss of Usman Khawaja. Steve Smith and Alex Carey batted masterfully to put Sri Lanka on the back foot and reduce Australia’s deficit to 60 runs; it feels the decisive session of the match.
49th over: Australia 193-3 (Smith 74, Carey 49) Smith reverse sweeps Peiris throgh point for a couple, then drives a single to bring up what could be a match-winning century partnership. They’ve played so well, mixing calculated big shots with deft placement and sharp running between the wicket. It’s been a bit of a clinic.
48th over: Australia 187-3 (Smith 71, Carey 46) Smith is kicking away anything pitched outside leg stump by Jayasuriya; a maiden is the inevitable result. Sri Lanka are trying to slow the scoring rate in the hope Smith or Carey will get bored. I’m not sure they will.
47th over: Australia 187-3 (Smith 71, Carey 46) Nishan Peiris replaces his fellow offspinner Ramesh Mendis (13-0-48-0). His second ball is a beauty that beats Smith’s attempted drive and bounces this far over middle stump before running away for a couple of byes. Australia are in such a good position on a pitch that is already breaking up; they trail by 70.
46th over: Australia 184-3 (Smith 70, Carey 46) Jayasuriya is back after two overs from Kumara. Carey is beaten by the first ball, then chips over mid-off for four. It teased the fielder, Kumara I think, but eventually cleared him comfortably.
45th over: Australia 178-3 (Smith 69, Carey 41) Smith tries to reverse sweep a ball from Mendis that beats everyone and scoots down the leg side for four byes. Australia have scored 49 from the last 10 overs, a pretty ominous statistic for Sri Lanka.
44th over: Australia 173-3 (Smith 69, Carey 40) Too short from Kumara and Carey, who was born to be a supporting actor with the bat, puts him away for four. He’s playing beautifully as well. If Sri Lanka don’t strike in the 20 minutes before tea they could face a very painful evening session.
43rd over: Australia 166-3 (Smith 68, Carey 34) Mendis beats Smith in the flight with a beautiful curving delivery that Smith, reaching forward defensively, inside-edges onto the pad. The next two deliveries are too short, allowing Smith to play back at his leisure. The inability to maintain a consistent line and length has been a big problem for Sri Lanka since lunch.
42nd over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 67, Carey 32) Time for a change of pace. The muscular Lahiru Kumara, who bowled only two overs with the new ball, replaces Prabath Jayasuriya (13-2-52-1), with a solitary second slip in place for Smith. It’s a pretty good over, everything fullish and straight. A maiden.
“With Smith being as common a name as Mendis, I just want to confirm that this is the same Smith we were told was all washed up just a few months ago?” asks Gary Naylor. “Form and class eh?”
If his eyes have gone, I’ll happily take them.
41st over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 67, Carey 32) Australia haven’t won a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2011 so, while this won’t impact the World Test Championship, it’s an important tour for a team who love ticking achievements off the list.
A quicker ball from Mendis explodes from off stump to beat the bat. This won’t be an easy pitch to start on for the rest of the game, which makes this partnership even more valuable.
40th over: Australia 162-3 (Smith 66, Carey 32) Jayasuriya tosses one up to Smith, who clatters it through extra cover for four. Wonderful batting. He is starting to break Sri Lanka’s will with the sheer certainty of his batting. Australia trail by 95.
39th over: Australia 156-3 (Smith 61, Carey 31) Sri Lanka look like they are waiting for a wicket rather than actively seeking one. The offspinner Mendis is bowling around the wicket to Smith with short leg the only close fielder. A bit of width allows Smith to stretch forward and flash the ball to the cover boundary. That’s such a good shot.
Fifty for Steve Smith
38th over: Australia 150-3 (Smith 55, Carey 31) Smith sweeps Jayasuriya firmly for four to bring up an outstanding half-century from 98 balls. In awkward conditions he has been at his problem-solving best, and in this innings he has become Australia’s leading runscorer on the subcontinent: 1918 at an average of 52, a nose ahead of Ricky Ponting (1889 at 42)
37th over: Australia 143-3 (Smith 49, Carey 30) Thanks Martin, evening everyone. Ramesh Mendis returns to the attack with a slip and leg slip for Carey, who pops him over wide mid-on for six. That’s a terrific shot, which brings up an admirably procative fifty partnership from only 72 balls. This is not an easy pitch and you have to find ways to put pressure back on the bowlers; Australia have done that while almost managing risk expertly.
Martin Pegan
36th over: Australia 135-3 (Smith 48, Carey 23) SIX! Smith steps down the track and effortlessly lofts a drive back over Jayasuriya’s head and beyond the rope. A sublime stroke that was all about the footwork with a touch of timing. That’s drinks, with the Australia pair looking in control even if we all know too well what the break can do to a batter’s rhythm.
I’ll hand you over to Rob Smyth to guide you through the rest of day two. Thanks for following along.
35th over: Australia 128-3 (Smith 42, Carey 22) Smith quickly picks up the flight of the ball and with a flick of the wrists turns it to midwicket for a single. Carey puts the sweep away for the rest of the over but adds one more with a straight drive. The Australian pair are scoring from a limited range of shots, but it is proving highly effective.