Australia defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test, completing the win in just four days. This dominant performance marked Australia’s biggest Test victory, surpassing Sri Lanka’s previous record loss of an innings-and-239-run defeat to India in 2017.
Sri Lanka was dismissed for 247 in their second innings after Australia declared their first-innings total at 654/6. Australia’s spinners, Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon, dominated, claiming 16 wickets across both innings. Kuhnemann finished with career-best figures of 9/149 after taking five wickets in the first innings.
Australia’s captain Steven Smith praised his team’s strong start, with Usman Khawaja’s double century and contributions from Josh Inglis and Smith himself, both scoring centuries. The team’s 650-run total set the tone for the match. Smith also credited the bowlers, particularly the spinners, for keeping fresh and creating pressure throughout the game.
Sri Lanka’s batting collapsed under pressure, losing eight wickets before lunch and another seven after the break. Dinesh Chandimal was the only significant contributor with 72 in the first innings. Jeffrey Vandersay’s quick-fire 53 in the second innings briefly delayed the inevitable, but his reckless dismissal sealed Sri Lanka’s fate, as they fell just short of their heaviest defeat.
The loss raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s lack of consistency and discipline in their batting, with only two half-centuries in the entire match. Changes are expected ahead of the second Test in Galle. Sri Lanka’s captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, had hoped to reclaim the Warne-Murali Trophy, which they lost to Australia in 2019. However, with Australia leading 1-0 in the two-match series, the trophy remains in Australia’s hands.
Khawaja was named man of the match for his double century and reflected on the satisfaction of the win, citing his previous tours of Sri Lanka as instrumental to his success in the series.
