GALLE: Australia’s right-handed batter Steve Smith ended his century drought after 16 consecutive innings and bolstered Australia to score a commendable 298/5 on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Smith, who last reached the triple-figure mark in January 2021 against India, has finally found his lost form as he smashed his 28th Test hundred on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
His counterpart Marnus Labuschagne, on the other hand, also followed the footsteps of his senior as he bolstered the touring side to a commendable total with his first century in the sub-continent.
The right-handed batter, however, could not carry his bat till the stumps and fell short to Prabath Jayasuriya in the 59th over after scoring a magnificent 104. Labuschagne faced 156 balls in the course of his astonishing knock and smashed a dozen boundaries.
Australia’s top-scorer with the bat, Smith, on the other hand, stood firm and carried his bat through the second day as he scored an unbeaten 109 off 212 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries.
Wicket-keeper batter Alex Carey, who walked to the middle after a brief collapse before the conclusion of the opening day, scored an unbeaten 16 and will now resume the proceedings for Australia at 298/5 with centurion Smith.
Left-handed opener Usman Khawaja gave his side a solid foundation in the opening session with a valiant 37-run knock despite the rare failure of his partner David Warner, who scored a mere five.
For Sri Lanka, Jayasuriya led the way with three wickets, while Ramesh Mendis and Kasun Rajitha made one scalp each.
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