Australia conquer Sri Lanka in Galle to break 14-year drought
Galle: Under the gaze of the venerable Dutch fort, Australia finally conquered Sri Lanka after a siege lasting eight days over two Test matches that will take the tourists into June’s world championship final as firm favourites to defend their title.
Nathan Lyon (4-84) took the crucial wicket on the final morning, before Usman Khawaja (27 not out), Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne (26 not out) made quick enough work of the target to end the match well before the lunch break by a nine-wicket margin.
Usman Khawaja guided Australia to the win.Credit: Getty Images
The Australians travelled to Sri Lanka well aware they had not won a series here since Lyon’s first in 2011, a tour so long ago that he and Khawaja are the only two team members to have made both trips.
For that reason, the selectors largely favoured pragmatism, including Josh Inglis instead of Sam Konstas and playing Head at the top. Cooper Connolly had little to do in his debut Test match after being included to lengthen the batting order at the expense of Todd Murphy – a debatable call.
Matt Kuhnemann (4-63 and 16 wickets overall) was Australia’s bowler of the series, while captain Steve Smith (272 runs, two centuries and the player-of-the-series award), Khawaja (295 runs), second-Test player of the match Alex Carey (202) and Inglis (a debut century) could be particularly proud of their tours.
Beau Webster (2-6) enhanced his reputation as a willing contributor to the team in all facets of the game, while Labuschagne was relieved to notch his highest score of the series to put a final seal on the chase. Whether that helps him keep his spot for Lord’s remains to be seen.
Lyon effectively had the last word on the series by conjuring the kind of delivery that not even the nimble Kusal Mendis could do anything about. With the field set deep, Lyon dropped his first few deliveries short, and Kusal declined to take a single.
But when he ventured a little fuller with plenty of action on the ball, Lyon extracted turn and devilish bounce, the ball leaping at Kusal’s gloves and plopping obligingly into the hands of Smith at short fine leg – the only fielder anywhere near the bat.
