Australia were just two wickets away from wrapping up Sri Lanka's second innings in the second Test on Saturday, with the hosts struggling at 211-8 at stumps on day three in Galle on Saturday.
Leading by only 54 runs, Australia’s side, under the captaincy of Steve Smith, was poised to finish the job early on Sunday and complete a 2-0 series sweep.
Angelo Mathews had been the anchor for Sri Lanka, holding the innings together as wickets fell at the other end. However, just 15 minutes before the close of play, Mathews fell to a sweep shot off Nathan Lyon, sending the ball straight to square leg where Beau Webster took a sharp catch. Mathews, who had fought hard for his half-century, made 76, but it was not enough for Sri Lanka, which required a far longer knock to mount a serious challenge.
Mathews’ recent form had been under scrutiny, with just one fifty in his last eight innings. Prior to the Test, Sri Lanka’s selectors had made it clear that unless he started scoring big runs, his spot in the next cycle of the World Test Championship was uncertain.
Mathews’ sixth-wicket partnership with Kusal Mendis, worth 70 runs, had provided a glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka, staving off an imminent collapse and extending the game into a fourth day.
In a rare incident during the afternoon session, a delivery from Lyon drifted down the leg-side and clipped the helmet placed behind the wicketkeeper for a close-in fielder. This triggered an automatic five-run penalty for Sri Lanka, a rare bonus in a match where runs had been hard to come by.
Amidst the picturesque backdrop of Galle Fort, where hundreds of Australian supporters gathered atop the historic ramparts, Lyon had a moment to celebrate as he became only the third Australian to take 550 Test wickets. He joined the illustrious ranks of Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563). Lyon had been well-supported by Matthew Kuhnemann, and together they claimed seven wickets.
Earlier in the match, Alex Carey had starred with a swashbuckling 156, his career-best score, which included 15 boundaries and two towering sixes. While Steve Smith had also contributed with a second century of the series, scoring 131, it was Carey who made batting look effortless, leading Australia’s charge.
With Sri Lanka on the ropes and Australia poised to deliver the knockout blow, day four promised to be full of drama. Australia had already secured the Warne-Murali Trophy after taking a 1-0 lead with a crushing victory in the first Test, which had resulted in Sri Lanka’s worst-ever Test defeat, by an innings and 242 runs.
