Australia dominated the opening day of the first Test in Galle, reaching 330 for 2 before rain stopped play. Usman Khawaja (147*) and stand-in captain Steven Smith (104*) put on an unbeaten 195-run stand, capitalizing on a spin-friendly surface. Smith, leading in Pat Cummins’ absence, completed 10,000 Test runs before bringing up his 35th century.
Australia started aggressively, with Travis Head (57) setting the tone. He justified his promotion to opener with a brisk knock, adding 92 runs with Khawaja. Head’s attacking approach forced Sri Lanka onto the back foot, but he fell trying to clear long-on. Marnus Labuschagne (20) also perished before lunch, edging Jeffrey Vandersay to slip.
Smith reached his milestone in his first delivery before lunch, joining Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh in Australia’s 10,000-run club. He survived an early scare when Prabath Jayasuriya dropped a return catch. After a fluent start, Sri Lanka’s negative tactics slowed his scoring, but Smith pounced in the final session, punishing tiring bowlers.
Khawaja, under pressure after a lean series against India, played fluently. He used the reverse sweep effectively and brought up his 16th Test century off 135 balls. Sri Lanka’s fielding woes added to their struggles, with two dropped catches and a missed review against Khawaja.
Sri Lanka’s spinners, led by Vandersay, found some turn, but Australia’s batters dictated terms. The hosts resorted to defensive leg-stump lines, but Smith and Khawaja remained untroubled. Australia opted for a spin-heavy attack, with Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann joining Nathan Lyon, while Mitchell Starc was the sole frontline pacer.
Rain eventually ended play seven balls into the second new ball, offering Sri Lanka some relief after a tough day.
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