Sri Lanka v Australia: first males’s cricket Check, day one – stay | Australia cricket crew

WICKET! Head c Chandimal b Jayasuriya 57 (Australia 92-1)

fifteenth over: Australia 91-0 (Khawja 33, Head 57) Spin for Jayasuriya and Khawaja is overwhelmed. Sadly the bat pad has been eliminated and he runs a single when he may’ve been caught. Head takes the lengthy deal with to the subsequent one…. and is OUT. Labuschagne survives a loud shout for lbw on his second ball confronted but it surely’s method down legside.

14th over: Australia 91-0 (Khawja 33, Head 57) Nishan Peiris begins his seventh over with 0-31. He’s rolling them down at 85kph and discovering glints of spin however he’s been bludgeoned by two batters on the prime of their sport. Head underlines that assertion by skipping right down to catch the fourth ball on the half-volley and slam it to the boundary.

thirteenth over: Australia 84-0 (Khawja 31, Head 51) Cheeky by Khawaja! Seeing a yawing hole on the offside, he steps out and reverse sweeps Jayasuriya for FOUR. Nice batting by the 38-year-old. After stepping out with energy, he steps again with persistence, flicking a single from the final to maintain strike. Australia’s run-rate is now 6.46!

twelfth over: Australia 76-0 (Khawja 24, Head 50) Head brings up his FIFTY with a single to lengthy on. Nice innings thus far with the half century coming from simply 35 balls with 9 fours and a six.

eleventh over: Australia 74-0 (Khawja 24, Head 49) Head faucets a single to maintain the strike rotating. Khawaja does the identical as Jaysuriya continues to probe for spin. He finds it on the fifth supply however Head sees it fizzing and flat bats it huge of mid-off for 4 extra.

Vivienne Doonar emails to ask: Why was Sam Kontas dropped? As a result of he’s unproven in Sri Lankan circumstances, Vivienne, and Travis Head is a confirmed grasp of them, as confirmed by his 49 from 33 balls at the moment.

tenth over: Australia 67-0 (Khawja 22, Head 44) Now Khawaja golf equipment a SIX! Peiris continues to toss it up however the batter noticed it coming and was three metres down the pitch to negate the spin and loft it simply over the rope. Sri Lanka appear unfazed by the Australian assault and Peiris will get the fifth ball to grip and it beats Khawaja who edges simply huge of the person at again pad. He celebrates the near-catch by pitching one other 4 over mid-on.

ninth over: Australia 54-0 (Khawja 13, Head 40) Head hammers one other FOUR. This time Jayasuriya put it quick and huge and Head stepped again and smashed it sq.. Ouch! Now Head will get down on one knee and slog sweeps one other superb boundary. Fifty is up for Australia and they’re rattling alongside at six runs per over!

eighth over: Australia 45-0 (Khawja 12, Head 33) Peiris offers it air… and so does Head, stepping down and lifting into the grandstands for SIX! Fantastic batting from the Australian vice-captain who’s now batting in his saggy inexperienced cap. Between that and the bristling moustache it’s a throwback to Australia’s first Check towards Sri Lanka in 1983 when David Hookes tonked a well-known unbeaten 143 from 145 balls. Huge attraction towards Head now and this time Sri Lanka overview. Nevertheless it’s a foul name. The ball is placing Head’s left pad method exterior the road. Overview misplaced.

seventh over: Australia 37-0 (Khawja 12, Head 24) Fernando, robbed of a wicket in his final over when his captain didn’t overview a ball hitting Head’s off stump, is changed with Prabath Jayasuriya AKA “The Galledozer”. Jayasuriya was the destroyer within the second Check of the final sequence towards Australia in 2022, taking 12 wickets to bolster his profession tally of 107 from 19 Assessments. Head faucets a single from the final.

sixth over: Australia 36-0 (Khawja 12, Head 23) Peiris tosses it up however Khawaja has his toes dancing and he drives it for 4 previous lengthy on. One other quick over, one other worthwhile one for Australia. And fortuitous because it seems, as replays of that attraction within the earlier over present that Fernando’s ultimate ball was certainly hitting Head’s stumps!

fifth over: Australia 32-0 (Khawja 3, Head 23) Dangerous ball first up from Fernando and Head punishes it, taking it off center stump and sending it to the rope. Tries to repeat it on the subsequent but it surely’s squarer and solely yields a single. Khawaja now feasts on a fuller wider ball, stepping out and opening the face to glide his first boundary of the day. The 79-Check veteran then reaches for a large one and steers a run behind level. Head stands tall to the subsequent, chopping powerfully and eluding the boundary rider for a fifth boundary from 13 balls. Huge attraction on the final, extra exasperation than expectant me thinks, however Sri Lanka choose to not overview.

4th over: Australia 18-0 (Khawja 3, Head 14) Proper-armer Peiris wheels in once more from his two-metre “run-up”. Head instantly slaps a single and Khawaja, overwhelmed in flight and searching awkward, inside edges a run in return. Head tiptoes right down to the ultimate ball, driving straight to retain the strike.

third over: Australia 15-0 (Khawja 2, Head 12) Fernanado returns, this time across the wicket. That is the 27-year-old’s twenty second Check and he has 76 wickets at 26 to point out for them. Second ball jags again and catches Khawaja on the codpiece. Nasty for Ussie, good for Asitha and first signal of spice from this Galle pitch to this point… however the further kick got here from a no-ball. Khawaja can’t get a bat on the remainder. Good response from Fernando.

2nd over: Australia 14-0 (Khawja 2, Head 12) Two-Check spinner Nishan Peiris will bowl the second over and fortunate for him it’s to Usman Khawaja not boundary-glutton Travis Head. Peiris rattles by way of six deliveries and has a single taken from the final.

1st over: Australia 13-0 (Khawja 1, Head 12) And we’re away! First ball from Asitha Fernando is full and Usman Khawaja takes a half-step to drive a single. Head has a have a look at one then casually flicks the subsequent for FOUR. Fifth ball is huge and Head, deep within the crease, swats it sq. for an additional boundary. Straightforward pickings. And why not go three in a row? A late minimize eludes gully and flies to the rope. What a begin for Travis Head!

Gamers are on the sector and anthems are being belted out underneath cloudy skies in Galle. There was rain in a single day however skies are clear for now and anticipated to remain that method for a lot of the day. After that, issues will get dicey with showers predicted fr the rest of the Check.

The pitch appears to be like dry and dusty. No grass to talk of however there’ll possible be moisture deeper down. Heaters and UV lights have been utilized by curators to dry the pitch this morning. What impact will it have? Batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up, we’re about to seek out out!

So teenage wonderboy Sam Konstas has been dropped after two Assessments and Scott Boland’s run of unhealthy luck continues, additionally dumped after successful man of the match honours in his final Check. Once more.

Konstas makes method for Travis Head to open the batting with fellow Asian wicket specialist Usman Khawaja and Boland will shine the pine to permit specialist spinners right-armer Todd Murphy and leftie Matthew Kuhnemann to return to the line-up.

An fascinating problem now awaits Konstas who appeared assured of taking part in within the Ashes however whose rollercoaster rise has now been out of the blue derailed. If Josh Inglis, a high quality participant of spin, takes his likelihood within the center order this sequence and Head excels on the prime and decides to remain there, Australian cricket’s Subsequent Huge Factor may be left ready for Usman Khawaja to retire if he’s to mud off his saggy inexperienced.

It’s nothing Geoff Lemon didn’t see coming…

Groups

Josh Inglis is confirmed to play and has acquired saggy inexperienced cap No 470 from redoubtable former Check opener Geoff Marsh whose son Mitchell was dropped for this sequence. The English-born, Australian-raised Inglis completes the Australian cricket holy trinity, having already performed 26 ODIs and 29 T20s within the inexperienced and gold.

Australia have received the toss and can bat first

As Australia’s males get their sequence underneath method at the moment, Australia’s ladies are making ready to play the Ashes Check towards England on the Melbourne Cricket Floor tomorrow. Australia are unbeaten within the sequence thus far and, if Beth Mooney’s preventing phrases at the moment are any indicator, there’s loads extra ache for the English to come back.

Since 2007-08, Australia and Sri Lanka have performed for the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy, named for the 2 titans of spin bowling from both nation. The trophy itself is a magnificence, with the magic palms of each males solid in bronze and gripping match balls.

With ultimate XIs pending right here’s how the squads line up for this sequence…

Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake

Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

Australia enter this sequence with out spearhead and captain Pat Cummins, who has despatched his superhero cape to the dry-cleaners and stayed house for the delivery of his second youngster whereas plotting the subsequent step in Australia conquest of the cricketing world.

With Josh Hazlewood additionally sidelined, the bowling assault Australia’s selectors go together with right here in Galle is the topic of heated conjecture. Veterans Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon appear sure to play. However who companions every?

Will folks’s hero paceman Scott Boland get an opportunity alongside Starc with the brand new ball? Or does uncapped NSW firebrand Sean Abbott get his alternative eventually? Maybe the medium tempo of SCG Check hero allrounder Beau Webster is promoted up the bowling order?

Given the dry spinning wickets right here in Galle, it’s additionally doable Australia might go for a three-prong spin assault. Will Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann or rookie Cooper Connolly companion Lyon? Or will Australia choose simply certainly one of that trio and belief the part-time tweak of Travis Head who took a useful 4-10 to clinch the primary Check for Australia in 2022?

There’s danger with all three spinners, with Murphy not having performed a Check in over a 12 months, left-armer Kuhnemann recovering from thumb surgical procedure and Connolly a veteran of simply 4 first-class video games.

The taking part in XIs for this match can be confirmed shortly, with loads of debate over who will begin and the place they’ll bat/ bowl if picked.

Australia dropped a bombshell yesterday by confirming Travis Head will substitute Sam Konstas as opener. Will the 19-year-old Boxing Day Check hero transfer down the order or drop out of the XI completely? If the latter, who fills that vacant middle-order spot? Will Nathan McSweeney – a specialist No 5 at house – be recalled? Or are native reviews on the cash saying dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is about to win a Check debut a month shy of his thirtieth birthday?

Be happy to drop me an e-mail together with your tuppence price at any stage at the moment. Or just rhapsodise about Konstas in prose or poetry so we will get underneath Barney Ronay’s pores and skin forward of the Ashes…

There’s deep intrigue surrounding this sequence, with key personnel lacking from each squads, a number of stars believed to be taking part in injured and a number of contemporary faces bracing for baptism within the stress cooker of Check cricket.

Each side had 2024, with Sri Lanka boasting a 6-4 win-loss file and Australia 7-2-1. Nevertheless, Australia nonetheless have their tail up after defeating India 3-1 to win again the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the primary time in a decade, whereas Sri Lanka completed the 12 months with a 2-0 away loss to South Africa, shedding each Assessments by hefty 233-run and 109-run margins.

Right here’s how Geoff Lemon previewed the primary Check…

Preamble

Angus Fontaine