The home side ended the third day strongly placed, but batting fourth will remain a tricky proposition
Andrew McGlashan10-Jul-20221:00
McDonald: Australia well and truly in the game
Stumps Sri Lanka’s experienced Test batters and their newest member combined to earn them a handy lead on the third day in Galle as they aim to square the two-Test series. Dinesh Chandimal made his 13th Test hundred and Kamindu Mendis marked his debut with an innings full of classy touches, the pair joining for a fifth-wicket stand of 133, to ensure Australia endured a long day in the field.Overall, Sri Lanka’s batters from No. 2 to No. 6 all contributed a half-century or better and it was the first time five of them had scored fifties or more in the same innings against Australia. With a lead of 67 and two days remaining, Sri Lanka have the chance to put considerable pressure on Australia’s second innings, although the loss of Kamindu and Niroshan Dickwella in the final session dented hopes of a more substantial advantage, and batting last could yet be a fraught task.Chandimal brought up his century, his second against Australia, from 195 balls when he dabbed Nathan Lyon into the off side, punching the air has he ran through. It was an innings largely compiled with low-risk batting, except for the occasional moment of outright aggression such as an early six against Lyon and launching Mitchell Starc over mid-off.After a collectively poor show in the first Test, notwithstanding the challenging conditions, Sri Lanka’s senior batters responded. Not for the first time, however, Australia were left to regret burning their reviews. When Chandimal was on 30, he edged Starc behind but it was given not out by Kumar Dharmasena, and Australia had no recourse to the third umpire having used up their reviews shortly before the 80-over mark: first, they went up for an lbw against Angelo Mathews but there was a thin bottom edge, and then for a catch at silly point against Chandimal, but there was only pad.Another opportunity came their way when Kamindu was on 43 and advanced at Lyon, was beaten by the turn, and Alex Carey couldn’t gather the stumping chance. Carey had earlier missed an almost impossible stumping chance offered by Chandimal on 10, then late in the day a le-side one against Ramesh Mendis. On 34, Kamindu had also edged a very tough chance to Steven Smith at slip, but it would have been a brilliant catch wide, and low to his left.Kamindu Mendis marked his Test debut with an innings full of classy touches•AFP/Getty Images
There were not many options Pat Cummins did not use through the day, including periods of short bowling, 7-2 off-side fields to try and stem the scoring rate, changes of ends and the part-time spin of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. Lyon had a huge workload, clocking up 56 overs, and briefly left the field for treatment for cramps. Late reward came his way when Dickwella, a batter who could have taken on a tired attack, clubbed to mid-on.Chandimal had arrived in the third over of the day when Lyon made an early breakthrough by trapping Kusal Mendis lbw with one which spun sharply from outside off. It came shortly after an almost-identical appeal had been declined by Michael Gough with it remaining umpire’s call on height by the narrowest of margins. Chandimal immediately made a statement by taking on Lyon’s attacking line with consecutive shots through the off side for four and six as he and Mathews set about building their 83-run stand.The partnership was broken shortly after lunch when Mathews got an inside edge into his pad attempting to work Starc to the leg side, which popped out into the on side and was smartly held by Labuschagne at short leg. It did not prove costly, but replays showed that he, too, could have been lbw on review against Lyon shortly before he was out.In Starc’s next over, Chandimal survived his edge behind, but by and large he and Kamindu were untroubled for lengthy periods. Kamindu, who holds a first-class batting average of 61, looked at ease almost from the start, getting underway with a back cut against Lyon, and was not flustered when the quicks went short at him. Some of his timing was exquisite, with a straight-bat punch through midwicket, a square drive off Cummins and an off-drive against Lyon especially eye-catching.He fell attempting to slog-sweep Mitchell Swepson out of the rough, which opened the door for Australia late in a long day, but he had done enough to suggest he will be hard to leave out for the series against Pakistan which follows. First, though, there are two huge days ahead for Sri Lanka. To take a drawn series after what happened in the first Test, and from the strong position Australia found themselves early in this match, would be a significant achievement.
