Sri Lanka v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day three – live | Australia cricket team

Guy Hornsby on the email line laments seeing a bright talent start to battle. “It’s been a tough start to 2025 for Kamindu Media, Geoff. He was the rising star last year, and I loved seeing him bat in England but he’s really dipped. I hope it’s temporary because with Karunaratne’s retirement, Sri Lanka need batters. If these two don’t get closer to parity it’ll be over very quickly, I’m sad to say. Australia are giving so little away.”

Busy session for Australia, 33 overs bowled in it, when usually in home conditions they’re managing about 25 overs. Conceded 98 runs, which is a decent scoring lick, but they’ve taken four wickets along the way and still have a first-innings lead.

Starc only bowled two overs. Kuhnemann kept one low to bowl Nissanka. Lyon got a little inside edge from Karunaratne, then Chandimal and Kamindu were both out to lofted drives.

33rd over: Sri Lanka 98-4 (Mathews 38, Dhananjaya 8) Last over before tea. Head bowling it. Mathews hopping on the front foot to deadbat the ball. Then launches into a powerful sweep, along the ground to the deep sweeper for a run. That lets Dhananjaya double his own score again! Fully pitched, driven through mid off, there’s a gap there with a wide-set fielder, and with a slightly angled bat, Dhananjaya smacks four.

32nd over: Sri Lanka 93-4 (Mathews 37, Dhananjaya 4) Another one-run over from Kuhnemann, doing as he did in the first innings and going at a run rate of two through the innings.

31st over: Sri Lanka 92-4 (Mathews 36, Dhananjaya 4) Head continues, the batting pair knocking runs to leg, then Dhananjaya using width to drive through covers for two. Aims to replicate that shot, hitting it even harder, but that’s all toe and into the ground.

30th over: Sri Lanka 89-4 (Mathews 35, Dhananjaya 2) It was indeed a switch of ends for Kuhnemann, while also giving Lyon a breather. The left-armer goes around the wicket to Dhananjaya, two right-handers on strike. No run.

29th over: Sri Lanka 89-4 (Mathews 35, Dhananjaya 2) More shuffling. Kuhnemann replaced Head for one over, now they’ve gone back again. Does Smith want Kuhnemann from Lyon’s end? Still no Connolly. Mathews drives through cover, a full ball, two runs. Then a poor ball, slow and very wide, almost off the pitch. Mathews drives again, should get a third run but Dhananjaya says no. Clearly three there, that’s lazy, turning down runs is not a mindset they can afford. Mathews says, “You want to dodge strike? Not likely.” Finds a single next ball to turn it over. Dhananjaya scores his second run into the off side. Deficit down to 68.

28th over: Sri Lanka 83-4 (Mathews 30, Dhananjaya 1) Lyon zeroing in on Mathews’ leg stump from around the wicket, trying to coax him to punch one to short leg, or round the corner to leg slip. Mathews is playing them well, getting gloves over the ball and knocking it straight to ground. Then Lyon skids one across the stumps and Mathews shapes to reverse, misses as the ball skids through. Gets a run to square leg to follow, even under siege he’s still scoring.

27th over: Sri Lanka 82-4 (Mathews 29, Dhananjaya 1) Sri Lanka have closed the gap to 75 runs, but lost Kamindu on the way. Kuhnemann takes over from Head with the ball. Dhananjaya blocks him out.

26th over: Sri Lanka 82-4 (Mathews 29, Dhananjaya 1) The Sri Lankan skipper on a king pair – made a golden duck in the first innings. Survives the golden here with one that threatens the outside edge, then gets off the broader pair when he takes a run into the leg side.

That’s soft. A lapse in concentration, and other cheap dismissal for Kamindu now that his golden streak has ended. Lyon gives it flight outside the off stump, Kamindu aims a big lofted drive. Why? What’s the value of striking it in the air? He doesn’t hit it wide enough, and Khawaja at mid off is able to step across and take a forward-pocket mark overhead. Double baggy greens on Usman, double the catching power. Poor dismissal.

Test wicket 551 for Lyon, no doubt he’s been dreaming of that too.

25th over: Sri Lanka 78-3 (Mathews 27, Kamindu 13) Oh, that’s a drop. Another tough one for Carey, straight in and out. Straight off the glove as Kamindu reverses, and such a short distance into the keeper’s gloves. Too quick and it bounces down.

24th over: Sri Lanka 77-3 (Mathews 26, Kamindu 13) Loud appeal from Lyon, hitting Mathews’ pad from around the wicket, but it’s turning too much, missing leg stump. They don’t review. Mathews turns over strike, Kamindu forces through cover and looks like he’ll get four, but Connolly is pretty fresh after after bowling 18 balls and facing 6 in the match, so he charges after it and dives to haul back one run. Good intensity.

23rd over: Sri Lanka 72-3 (Mathews 24, Kamindu 10) Living dangerously, Kamindu goes the reverse against Head, who is doing heaps with the ball. Hits it for four, then cuts a run. Mathews gets beaten again then drives one into the covers. Any ball feels like a wicket chance at the moment. Sri Lanka 85 runs behind.

22nd over: Sri Lanka 65-3 (Mathews 22, Kamindu 5) Mathews playing well here by keeping the scoring going. Whips a couple of runs through leg from Lyon, then nudges another. Kamindu uses his feet, driving hard wide of mid off, who half stops the ball. Only one run. Sri Lanka move to 91 runs behind, as Mathews is surprised by a ball from around the wicket that skids across him, taking an outside edge thick enough to end up in the covers.

21st over: Sri Lanka 60-3 (Mathews 18, Kamindu 4) A Mathews reverse sweep for one run to start the over. Travis Head continues. Cooper Connolly bowled three overs to Head’s eight in the first innings, and now the notionally specialist No8 hasn’t bowled in the second while the part-time Head is called upon. Whatever upbeat things Steve Smith said about his XI before the game, his bowling choices prove that he also thinks this was a nonsense selection.

Head often does threaten with the ball, of course, and does so again here, including a review for lbw against Kamindu. But Joel Wilson calls that right, from around the wicket – it floats across the line it pitches just outside leg stump before turning back to hit in line. The next ball shreds past the edge.

20th over: Sri Lanka 59-3 (Mathews 17, Kamindu 4) Mathews adds another single first ball of Lyon’s over, giving the bowler five balls to tease away at the left-hander. Kamindu is trying to be circumspect but there’s a degree of peril evident when teases at him. Leading edges, propping forward, that kind of thing.

19th over: Sri Lanka 58-3 (Mathews 16, Kamindu 4) Whoosh! Travis Head gets one to turn as Big Ange walks across his stumps, the off-break going between the batter’s legs and just past off stump. Keeper unsighted, four byes, then Carey follows up missing a stumping as Ange wanders again outside off. The ball bounces crazily out off the rough, wide of the stumps, and Carey has kept really well and made 150 but can’t grab that one.

18th over: Sri Lanka 53-3 (Mathews 15, Kamindu 4) “A very special moment for Nathan Lyon,” says the commentary. “550 Test wickets.”

Is it? Do kids lie in bed at night dreaming, dreaming of the day they’ll take wicket #550?

He nearly makes it 551, would have with an affirmative umpiring call, as the ball angles in at the left-hander’s stumps from around the wicket. Hits in line. The trajectory heading towards leg enough to make it umpire’s call on leg stump, but the Aussies have instigated the review, not SL. So no dismissal.

Geoff Lemon

Thanks Jim. Not long to go for Sri Lanka now, unless they can unearth some resistance. The wunderkind and the old stager at the crease. Shall we dance at the fort?

James Wallace

17th over: Sri Lanka 51-3 (Mathews 14, Kamindu 3) Drinks come onto the field after a couple of singles are worked off Matt Kuhnemann. That is my stint done, I’m down to do days four and five too but I really don’t think we’ll get there. Here’s Geoff Lemon to call a flurry of Australian wickets in his uniquely poetic way. Byeee!

16th over: Sri Lanka 49-3 (Mathews 13, Kamindu 2) Lyon now looks like he could snare a wicket with every ball, he squares up Mathews with one that goes straight on and then sends down a more flighted delivery that drifts and dips late.

15th over: Sri Lanka 47-3 (Mathews 12, Kamindu 1) It looks like Mathews is going to counterattack rather than prod and poke. A square drive brings him three and he follows that up with a smear down the ground, it ain’t pretty but it is effective.

14th over: Sri Lanka 39-3 (Mathews 5, Kamindu 0) Kamindu Mendis arrives in the middle. An inside edge onto pad saves him from perishing first ball! Huge appeal from behind the stumps but Lyon spotted the deflection.

BIG WICKET! Chandimal is gone and so might the match be now for Sri Lanka. The batter used his feet and hit a powerfully struck drive but it was in the air and plucked by the bucket hands of Beau Webster at mid-off. That’s 550 Test wickets for Nathan Lyon too. He’ll have his eyes on a few more this afternoon.

13th over: Sri Lanka 37-2 (Chandimal 11, Mathews 4) Angelo Mathews is the new man, he flicks over midwicket for four but did not look anywhere near in control. This match might just be beginning a harum-scarum descent to the finish line.

That’s the end of Dimuth Karunaratne’s Test career! His final dismissal is brought about by Matt Kuhnemann who tosses it up and invites the drive. Karunaratne plays in front of his pad and a tiny nick shows up on UltraEdge. The Aussie’s all give him a good hand and Chandimal embraces him before he leaves the middle for the final time in Test cricket. He raises his helmet and waves his bat as everyone in the Galle stadium show their appreciation to a batter who has chalked up 7172 runs, 16 hundreds, 39 fifties and a whole heap of memories. Well played!

12th over: Sri Lanka 33-1 (Karunaratne 14, Chandimal 11) Karunaratne gets an inside edge off Lyon but it flies safe of Marnus at short leg and they scamper a single. Lyon settling into his groove, looking more and more dangerous.

11th over: Sri Lanka 32-1 (Karunaratne 13, Chandimal 11) Consecutive maidens for Kuhnemann, he’s getting more bounce than Lyon at the moment.

10th over: Sri Lanka 32-1 (Karunaratne 13, Chandimal 11) Karunaratne taps a single into the off side and Chandimal sweeps for another. Cat and mouse stuff between both spinners and batters.

9th over: Sri Lanka 30-1 (Karunaratne 12, Chandimal 10) A change of ends for Kuhnemann, he’s arrowing in on the pads. Chandimal is watchful, onto the front foot and defending stoically to make it a maiden.

8th over: Sri Lanka 30-1 (Karunaratne 12, Chandimal 10) Lyon skips in, flannel in his trews, zinc on his chops. Two singles punched off the over. Sri Lanka trail by 127 runs.

7th over: Sri Lanka 28-1 (Karunaratne 11, Chandimal 9) Head is too full and Chandimal breaks the wrists and drives down the ground for four. Here comes Nathan Lyon.

6th over: Sri Lanka 21-1 (Karunaratne 9, Chandimal 4) Kuhnemann rattles off a quick over, just a Karunaratne single off it. Sri Lanka chipping away, they need to build a heft partnership and keep wickets in hand, they’ll likely fall in clumps as has been the pattern in this match.

5th over: Sri Lanka 20-1 (Karunaratne 8, Chandimal 4) Travis Head on for an early trundle. Shades on, walrus tache meaty and resplendent. No great turn on show, two singles worked off the over.

4th over: Sri Lanka 18-1 (Karunaratne 3, Chandimal 7) Shot! Karunaratne flicks through midwicket for four off Kuhnemann. Don’t go Dimuth! He blocks out the rest of the over with a straight bat and watchful eye.

3rd over: Sri Lanka 13-1 (Karunaratne 3, Chandimal 2) Starc sends down a short and wide ball that is clattered on the cut by Karunaratne but there’s a sweeper on the fence to keep it to a single. Chandimal gets off the mark with a compact push into the covers.

2nd over: Sri Lanka 9-1 (Karunaratne 1, Chandimal 0) Chandimal joins his old mucker in the middle with significant job to do. Kuhnemann looks dangerous with this new ball, skidding it on and varying his pace nicely.

Crikes. Chandimal leaves a ball that passes this close to the off stump. You know what they say about leaves…

Nissanka flatters to deceive, he gets beaten all ends up by a straight ball from Kuhnemann that skids on and rattles his timbers. Sri Lanka did not need that.

Matt Kuhnemann shares the new ball. Slip and a short leg in place to Karunaratne in his final Test innings. The batter rocks back and clips into the leg side for a single to get off the mark.

1st over: Sri Lanka 8-0 (Nissanka 8, Karunaratne 0) Absolutely sublime batting from Nissanka! He nails a full ball from Starc down the ground for four and the follows up with languid flow of the blade to thread a cover drive to the boundary for four more. The two shots of the day so far by some stretch.

The players emerge after lunch. Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne take guard for Sri Lanka. Mitchell Starc is going to have a quick burst with the new ball. Can the home side bat and bat and bat and turn this into a real contest? Let’s find out.

Drink it in. We might not be back tomorrow.

We’ve gone to lunch and breakfast in Galle and London respectively.

Here’s an informative read by Ali Martin on the English cricket landscape after a week of private money gushing forth. Includes some top quality (quilty) bog roll gags.

Ramesh Mendis bowls Matt Kuhnemann and that is that for Australia’s first innings. I suspected we might see a clatter of wickets once the mammoth partnership between Carey and Smith was broken and so it proved, there’s plenty of life in the surface and Australia lose seven wickets in the session. They have a hefty first innings lead to play with and will get to work on Sri Lanka’s batting card after the lunch break.

106th over: Australia 413-9 (Lyon 1, Kuhnemann 6) Lyon gets off the mark with a prod to mid on and Kuhnemann bunts down the ground for a couple more.

105th over: Australia 410-9 (Lyon 0, Kuhnemann 4) Matthew Kuhnemann is the last man for Australia. He edges his first ball wide of slip and away for four!

Ramesh Mendis rips a huge off-break through Beau Webster’s forward defence and the bails go skywards. Delicious ball with plenty of assistance off the surface, good and bad news for Sri Lanka who are 150 runs adrift. One more needed and they can get on with the task in hand.

104th over: Australia 406-7 (Webster 31, Lyon 0) Nathan Lyon is the new batter. But never mind that…

Bowled him! Starc misses a sweep and Jayasuriya has another five wicket haul. Two more wickets for Sri Lanka to take, the lead is at 149 for Australia.

103rd over: Australia 406-7 (Webster 31, Starc 8) Three singles off Ramesh Mendis, twenty minutes to go until lunch, the home side need to rattle through Australia here to keep within some sort of touching distance in this match.

102nd over: Australia 403-7 (Webster 30, Starc 6) The Aussies breach 400 with a sweep behind square for four by Webster. Jayasuriya isn’t having a breather, it’s a change of ends for him rather than a graze in the outfield. The lead is up to 147 runs.