With Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith proving inconceivable to dislodge within the second session for Sri Lanka, it didn’t take lengthy for the hosts to modify gears, and attempt to bore the Australian pair out.
Starting after the tea break, spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who took 12 wickets on debut the final time the 2 groups performed one another in Galle, resorted to bowling a line nicely outdoors leg stump with a stacked on facet area to Smith, making scoring tough to perform with out loads of threat.
So all-encompassing was the ploy that wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis was even completely stationed outdoors leg stump.
Smith naturally, was unperturbed, content material to securely pad away ball after ball from Jayasuriya, content material within the information that he couldn’t be given out LBW.
Consequently, Jayasuriya bowled three consecutive maidens to start out the session, all to Smith, and conceded simply six runs in a six-over spell.
Fellow spinners Jeffrey Vandersay and Nishan Peiris employed comparable ways, however nowhere close to as continuously, with umpire Chris Gaffaney briefly chatting with the Sri Lankans halfway by means of the session.
The response on social media was scathing, with the hosts’ ploy described as ‘tepid rubbish’ by Triple M’s Rudi Edsall.
‘Magnificent’ Smith joins legends with 10,000th run
Steve Smith has carried out it.
Having completed the house summer time stranded on 9,999 Take a look at runs, the performing captain took no time in any respect to achieve the magical 10,000 mark on Day 1 in Galle, knocking a fast single by means of to mid-on to spark joyous scenes from the Australian contingent of spectators.
Smith turns into the fourth Australian to achieve the mark, becoming a member of Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting within the unique membership; whereas solely Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara and Ponting have reached the mark in fewer innings.
Commentating on Seven, Ponting wasn’t shocked at how shortly Smith reached the milestone.
“I believed he would possibly attempt to get it off the primary ball that he truly confronted!” he laughed.
“May need been a barely grander stage if it was introduced up a few weeks in the past in entrance of his house crowd on the SCG – however you go searching this floor right here in Galle, there are a whole lot of Aussies there which have flown out simply to witness that second.
“Unbelievable. Magnificent achievement.”
Smith celebrated solely with a muted increase of the bat and a hug with Usman Khawaja, and almost fell with out including to his complete just a few balls later when Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya dropped a troublesome return likelihood.
Talking to Seven on the lunch break, Smith mentioned it was ‘good’ to achieve the milestone, however that he had already put it out of his thoughts.
“I’m simply making an attempt to give attention to batting, to be trustworthy,” he mentioned.
In classic Smith trend, he’d go on with the job, making Jayasuriya pay full value for his drop earlier than reaching a thirty fifth Take a look at century within the third session of the day.
Ponting’s concern over Konstas omission as debutant confirmed
Australia have locked of their XI for the primary Take a look at in opposition to Sri Lanka in Galle, with Josh Inglis making his Take a look at debut on the expense of Sam Konstas and three specialist spin bowlers picked.
As had already been suspected, Inglis was introduced along with his maiden dishevelled inexperienced cap on Wednesday morning in Galle, whereas Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy had been each chosen alongside Nathan Lyon, with no room for Scott Boland.
It means, remarkably, the much-loved Victorian has been dropped for the sixth time in his Take a look at profession, regardless of being named Participant of the Match in Australia’s fifth Take a look at win over India on the SCG after taking ten wickets for the match.
Australia gained the toss and elected to bat in Galle, with performing captain Steve Smith set to get an early alternative to attain the only he wants to achieve 10,000 Take a look at runs.
“He’s [Inglis] been banging the door down in Defend cricket, and carried out a terrific job,” Smith mentioned of the Western Australian, who was chosen in Australia’s Take a look at squad for the beginning of the summer time earlier than damage struck, and who was a part of the crew’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2023 as wicketkeeper.
Nonetheless, talking on Seven, former nice Ricky Ponting wasn’t satisfied the choice to axe Konstas, who dazzled in his first two Assessments in opposition to India, is the fitting one.
“I don’t prefer it, to be trustworthy,” Ponting mentioned.
“I simply anticipated that Konstas would play and would open the batting.
“In two Take a look at matches’ time, they play within the World Take a look at Championship [final] in England, and Konstas goes to be straight again into the facet.
“We’ve seen Travis Head open the batting within the subcontinent earlier than, and do very nicely – little question he’ll look to get Australia off to a little bit of a flyer.
“However I feel there’s an actual missed alternative for the Australians right here to get to study a bit extra about Sam Konstas.
“If he’s the participant that all of us assume he’s, I might have cherished to have seen him work out a method to play spin in powerful situations in Sri Lanka.”
Nonetheless, Ponting needed to admit the transfer ‘labored precisely the way in which they [Australia] would have wished’ after Head crunched ten fours and a six in a whirlwind 57 off simply 40 balls earlier than holing out, serving to placed on 92 with Khawaja for the primary wicket.
Australia made three adjustments from the crew that defeated India on the SCG, with Inglis, Kuhnemann and Murphy in for the omitted Konstas and Boland, whereas captain Pat Cummins has remained at house awaiting the start of his second youngster.
‘No stress, mate’: Konstas takes Take a look at omission in stride
Sam Konstas has proven his character with a cultured response to being dropped for the primary Take a look at in opposition to Sri Lanka, says Cricket Australia selector Tony Dodemaide.
Dodemaide stopped in need of guaranteeing Konstas would reclaim his opening spot for the house Ashes this summer time however insisted the star teenager remained a part of succession plans for an ageing Australian squad.
Australia cited Travis Head’s type as an opener on the final subcontinent tour in 2023 for the “tough” determination to oust Konstas from the highest of the order in Galle.
Konstas turned heads along with his aggressive strategy in his first two Assessments to assist seal a uncommon sequence victory over India, however has not toured the subcontinent earlier than.
The 19-year-old was seen congratulating Josh Inglis’s household because the beforehand uncapped West Australian took his spot within the XI for the primary of two Assessments in Galle.
After being instructed he can be dropped, Konstas supplied to reach on the floor early for day one on Wednesday to assist with preparations.
“There’s so much to love and be impressed about Sam,” Dodemaide mentioned.
Sam Konstas takes a swing on the SCG. (Picture by Morgan Hancock – CA/Cricket Australia through Getty Photos)
“One of many issues is his means to take issues in his stride. It’s outstanding actually, whether or not it’s enjoying in entrance of 90,000 and Jasprit Bumrah on the MCG or getting instructed that you just’re disregarded of the Take a look at.
“He was like, ‘Oh yeah mate, no stress. I get it’.”
Konstas memorably slapped the world’s greatest paceman Bumrah across the floor in Melbourne as he scored a half-century in his first Take a look at dig on Boxing Day.
He then partnered with Usman Khawaja to ignite the series-winning run chase on the SCG.
However Dodemaide wouldn’t assure Konstas would be capable of reprise his heroics through the subsequent house sequence, with two Sri Lanka Assessments, the World Take a look at Championship last and a West Indies tour to play out earlier than then.
“We gained’t pre-empt what’s occurring there,” Dodemaide mentioned.
“However clearly he’s carried out so much proper hasn’t he?
“We’re in search of these successor gamers to return in, there will likely be some turnover naturally within the subsequent couple of years or so and he’s very a lot staked a declare.”
Selectors will even not rule out Konstas returning to the XI within the second and last Sri Lanka Take a look at, pending the consequence within the first.
“He’s a vastly proficient participant, hasn’t performed so much on this a part of the world however he’ll study shortly clearly,” Dodemaide mentioned.
“The chance to have him right here, to not say that Take a look at two is out of the query clearly relying on what occurs right here, however the alternative to present Nathan McSweeney, Cooper Connolly and even now Ollie Peake (an opportunity to tour the subcontinent) is an funding sooner or later.”
The decision to drop Konstas sparked criticism from Australia’s most prolific Take a look at runscorer Ricky Ponting, who had beforehand referred to as for him to retain his spot.
“There’s a actual missed alternative for the Australians right here to get to study a bit extra about Sam Konstas,” the legendary former Take a look at captain mentioned on Channel 7.
“If he’s the participant all of us assume he’s, I might have cherished to have seen him work out a method to play spin in powerful situations in Sri Lanka over the following couple of weeks.”
Dodemaide mentioned Australia wanted to prioritise a primary sequence win in Sri Lanka since 2011 even when the facet had already certified for the WTC last.
“A variety of the narrative has been round this tour doesn’t matter. It actually does, it’s Take a look at cricket. That’s our precedence,” he mentioned.
(AAP)
