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[Watch] Mitchell Starc Smiles Cheekily As He Sends Off Dhananjaya De Silva For A Golden Duck

Soumyajit Dutta

Mitchell Starc sends off Silva for golden duck [Source: @7Cricket/X.com]Mitchell Starc sends off Silva for golden duck [Source: @7Cricket/X.com]

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The Sri Lanka vs Australia 2nd Test at Galle is in full swing and it seems the Lankans haven't learnt from their previous defeat in the 1st Test. Within only two sessions of Day 1, the Baggy Greens managed to topple 5 wickets of Sri Lanka.

Mitchell Starc made an immediate impact in Sri Lanka’s first innings as he removed the Lankan skipper, Dhananjaya de Silva, for a golden duck on the very first ball he faced. 

Mitchell Starc Rattles Sri Lanka Skipper Early

Starc, who was just been introduced into the attack then, fired a full and wide delivery outside the off-stump at the 46.2 over mark. Dhananjaya, seemingly caught off guard, didn’t move his feet and threw his hands at the ball, which wasn’t in the ideal zone for him to drive. The result was a thick outside edge, and the ball flew swiftly towards gully. 

Beau Webster was positioned perfectly and took a sharp catch to dismiss the Sri Lankan captain, sending him back to the pavilion without scoring a run. For Starc, his reaction seemed as it is just his day's work as he casually celebrated and put up a cheeky smile on his face as Silva departed.

With this wicket, Mitchell Starc secured his first scalp of the Test match, and Australia continued to apply the pressure with excellent bowling from the entire unit. 

Nathan Lyon was in fine form as well, taking three wickets. Travis Head chipped in with a valuable wicket, while Mitchell Kuhnemann, though wicketless, kept things tight with a disciplined spell of 17 overs for just 40 runs.

Australian Bowlers Thrash Sri Lanka Early

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Their innings, however, have been far from smooth sailing, with the hosts losing wickets regularly. By the 48.5 over mark, Sri Lanka had managed to reach 129-5, with Dinesh Chandimal (60 off 123 balls) providing some resistance at the crease. However, he has little support around him, with Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, and Dhananjaya de Silva all falling cheaply.

The match is currently underway, and Australia continues to dominate with a strong bowling performance. Starc’s early breakthrough and the pressure from Lyon and Head have placed Sri Lanka in a precarious position, with the lower order left to carry the hopes of the team.