SL vs AUS | 2nd Test | Day 4 | Chandimal's double ton and Jayasuriya’s brilliance help Sri Lanka level series

The spirited efforts from Dinesh Chandimal and Prabath Jayasuriya helped Sri Lanka win the second Test fixture against Australia at Galle on July 11. In this pursuit, Sri Lanka levelled the series 1-1.

Oshada Fernando was called in as a substitute for Pathum Nissanka, who had tested Covid positive. In the first Test, the right-handed batter had been called in to replace Angelo Mathewsthe in the line-up for similar reasons. 

The hosts began the day with an overnight score of 431/6, with Dinesh Chandimal and Ramesh Mendis at the crease.

Mendis displayed fine composure to steer the team and support the experienced Chandimal. However, Mitchell Starc delivered an accurate in-swinging yorker to dismiss Mendis (29). The seventh-wicket stand of 68 helped the team extend the lead.

Soon, Pat Cummins bowled an away-swinger to clean-bowl Theekshana (10). Then, Starc cleaned up debutant Prabath Jayasuriya with his perfectly nailed toe-crusher.

Chandimal tried to garner as many runs as possible with the last wicket remaining. In the process, the 32-year-old stamped his authority on the game.

He hit a six over the backward square-leg boundary to Cummins. Soon, he followed it up with a glorious six towards the mid-on region to Starc.

In the first hour of the second session, Chandimal bought up his maiden hundred with a six.

He etched his name into the history books to become the highest individual run-scorer for Sri Lanka against Australia in Tests. He surpassed Kumar Sangakkara's score of 192 in Hobart.

Nathan Lyon bowled 64 overs, the third-highest for any Australian player in the red-ball format.

Kasun Rajitha was adjudged LBW to Mitchell Swepson's googly, which ended the final wicket stand of 49 runs.

However, Sri Lanka ended on 554 and had already taken a lead of 190 runs. This was the best performance by the Sri Lankan batters in the history of red-ball cricket against Australia.

In response, Aussie openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja were watchful at the start.

Khawaja received a reprieve in the second over, courtesy of a failed stumping chance by Niroshan Dickwella. Then, the duo continued to steer the team forward at a rate of 3.5 per over.

However, Warner (24) was adjudged LBW at the stroke of tea, and Australia were 52/1 at the end of the second session.

Hosts spun a web around Australia

In the final session, Jayasuriya induced an edge off Khawaja (29). In the same over, he trapped maestro Smith (0) LBW as well.

A couple of overs later, Travis Head (5) misjudged the trajectory and spin of Mendis and was bowled.

Labuschagne (32) was gradually guiding the visitors from one end but was caught in two minds to become the third victim of Jayasuriya.

All-rounder Cameron Green (23) tried to resurrect the innings with his composure and confident shots. But, he was stumped, thanks to the flighted delivery of Jayasuriya and glovework from Dickwella.

The left-handed spinner picked his second five-for in the Test match by dismissing Starc, thanks to a terrific catch in slips by Kusal Mendis. Jayasuriya registered the best figures by a Sri Lanka bowler over two innings (12/177) in the longest format with this scalp. 

Then, Mendis and Theekshana picked the remaining wickets to help Sri Lanka win by an innings and 39 runs.

Earlier, Australia had scored 364, with centuries from Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. 

Brief Scores: 

Australia (1st innings) - 364/10 (110)

Smith 145* (272), Marnus Labuschagne 104 (156); 

Prabath Jayasuriya 6/118

Sri Lanka (1st innings)- 554/10 (181)

Dinesh Chandimal 206* (326), Dimuth Karunaratne 86 (165)

Mitchell Starc 4/89, Mitchell Swepson 3/103

Australia (2nd innings) - 151/10 (41)

Marnus Labuschagne 32 (59), Usman Khawaja 29 (47)

Prabath Jayasuriya 6/59

Result: Sri Lanka won by an innings and 39 runs