Spin specialist Usman Khawaja has swept his way to a century as Australia’s old guard launched a brutal attack on Sri Lanka.
Khawaja raised his bat for his 16th hundred and Steve Smith raised his to mark 10,000 runs in Test cricket, then again to celebrate a ton of his own on a one-sided opening day of their two-match series in Galle.
It is a breakthrough century that comes just weeks after Khawaja’s spot in the side came under fire during a lean Australian summer.
Smith reached his 35th Test century midway through the final session and Josh Inglis — who became the 470th man to play Test cricket for Australia — was forced to wait for his first hit, with Australia
Midway through the final session, Smith was on the cusp of his 35th Test century and West Australian Josh Inglis — who became the 470th man to play Test cricket for Australia — was forced to wait for his first hit.
Sloppy Sri Lanka were left to rue a series of decision review mishaps and a pair of dropped catches.
Khawaja played half of his innings as a right-hander, using his reverse-sweep and paddles to counter the threat of Sri Lankan leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay and left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
The Pakistani-born Khawaja has now conquered southern Asia, with Test tons in his home country, India, Dubai and Sri Lanka. At 38, he is also the oldest Australian batter to make a Test hundred since Steve Waugh in 2003.
His first century since the 2023 Ashes has the potential to extend Khawaja’s career as a sub-continent go-to, with the opener refusing to put a timeline on his retirement.
Khawaja was at the other end as Travis Head — elevated to open as part of a reshuffle that spat teenager Sam Konstas out of the side — took down lone seamer Asitha Fernando in the opening session.
It took Head just 35 balls to score a lightning half-century, but only because Sri Lanka didn’t review a vociferous lbw appeal that ball-tracking proved to be out when he was on 23.
Head was dismissed when he tried to launch Jayasuria down the ground and was caught at long-on.
Marnus Labuschagne scored 20 off 50 balls before he was caught off the bowling of promising wrist-spinner Vendersay.
The second-Test bowler ripped his first ball past the outside-edge of Khawaja and was the best of Sri Lanka’s bowlers.
Smith had grinned as he left the field after winning the toss and choosing to bat, but it doesn’t appear the pitch will take long to deteriorate and truly bring the spinners into play.
Fernando’s first over went for 13 and his first seven cost 41, while Nishan Peiris was wicketless late in the day.
Smith joined Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting beyond 10,000 Test runs when he flicked a ball from Jayasuria wide of mid-on. Like that trio of greats, he reached the mark as captain — standing in for Pat Cummins — and recognised teammates and a travelling Australian contingent with steely eyes but a respectful bat raise.
He had twice fallen less than 10 runs away from the mark at the SCG, his home ground, in the final Test against India.
“It was nice to tick that off,” Smith said.
Ponting said the low-key moment was a piece of “cricketing history”.
“(It) might have been a slightly grander stage if it was brought up a couple of weeks ago in front of his home crowd at the SCG,” he told Channel 7.
“But you look around this ground in Galle there are a lot of Aussies there who have flown out just to witness that moment.
“Fantastic. Magnificent achievement for the Australian number four and current captain of this side.”
Smith reached the mark with his first run, which came off his first ball. One run later he was dropped by Jayasuria after offering the bowler a low return catch.
After lunch, Galle played host to the full Smith experience. Smith had raced to a half-century and then, wearing a baggy green, engaged in an hours-long game of cat-and-mouse with Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers coming around the wicket and pitching balls outside leg.
In a great stalemate, Smith and Khawaja went more than 100 balls without a boundary as they stared down a stacked leg-side field and defensive bowling.
Australia’s spin-focused renovation of its batting unit — which also looks set to include Alex Carey leaping Beau Webster in the order — had its critics.
Legendary former Australian captain Ponting felt Australia should have stuck with Konstas on the assumption he would jump straight back into the team for this winter’s World Test Championship final.
“I don’t like it, to be honest … I just expected Konstas would play and would open the batting,” he told Channel 7.
“In two Test matches time they are playing in the World Test Championship in England and Konstas will be straight back into the side then.”
Selector-on-duty Tony Dodemaide revealed Konstas had responded “oh yeah mate, no stress, I get it” when he was told he would miss out and hit back at claims this series has diminished meaning.
“A lot of the narrative has been around this tour doesn’t matter. It really does, it’s Test cricket. That’s our priority,” he said before play.
Australia took the rare step of picking just one frontline paceman, with off-spinner Todd Murphy picked in place of cult hero paceman Scott Boland in a bowling attack that also includes Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and fit-again left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann.
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