For one, it was the start of a journey; for the other, the end. Australia’s Cooper Connolly made his Test debut as the 471st player for his country, while Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne had already announced that his 100th Test in Galle would also be his last.
It was an emotional day for both players, with their families present to witness the moment. Before stepping onto the field, one received his first-ever Baggy Green, while the other was honored with multiple memorabilia. As they embraced their loved ones, the Galle International Stadium was filled with a heartfelt atmosphere.
By the end of the day, however, it was Connolly who had the bigger smile. His team, Australia, had put Sri Lanka under immense pressure from the very first day.
Nathan Lyon’s spin in the morning and Mitchell Starc’s fiery spell in the evening left Sri Lanka reeling at 229/9 by stumps on Day 1 of the second and final Test of the series.
Karunaratne, in his farewell match, scored 36, while debutant all-rounder Connolly bowled three overs of left-arm spin but remained wicketless.
Sri Lanka had already suffered a humiliating defeat in the first Test at Galle, losing by an innings and 242 runs—one of their biggest losses in Test history.
Despite their struggles in the opening Test, Sri Lanka’s batting lineup faltered again in the second match. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva was dismissed on the very first ball he faced, while veteran Angelo Mathews managed just a single run off 26 deliveries. Among the lower-order batsmen, Prabath Jayasuriya and Nishan Peiris were both dismissed for ducks.
The only saving grace for Sri Lanka was Kusal Mendis, who remained unbeaten on 59 at stumps, with Lahiru Kumara (0*) hanging on at the other end. Sri Lanka’s chances of adding to their total on Day 2 will largely depend on Kusal Mendis.
Interestingly, Sri Lanka had started the day well. Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal guided their team to 87/1 by lunch. But soon after the break, Karunaratne was bowled by Lyon, ending a promising 70-run stand.
Chandimal fought hard, but wickets kept tumbling at the other end. When he fell for 74 at 150/5, Sri Lanka found themselves in deeper trouble.
Kusal Mendis and Ramesh Mendis stitched together a 65-run stand for the seventh wicket, offering some resistance. However, Mitchell Starc’s late burst in the final session left Sri Lanka in a desperate situation.
Match Scorecard:
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 229/9 in 90 overs
(Chandimal 74, Kusal Mendis 59, Karunaratne 36, Ramesh Mendis 28; Starc 3/37, Lyon 3/78, Kuhnemann 2/53, Head 1/31)*
End of Day 1.
