Australia's Crushing Victory Over Sri Lanka in First Test

Australia secured a commanding win over Sri Lanka in the first test, defeating them by an innings and 242 runs. Spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon dominated, sharing 16 wickets. Despite some resistance from Dinesh Chandimal and Jeffrey Vandersay, Sri Lanka's batting faltered, inviting changes for the second test.

Australia clinched an emphatic win in the first test against Sri Lanka, completing the match with a session and a day to spare. The hosts faced their heaviest defeat in test history on Saturday.

Sri Lanka collapsed to 247 in their second innings, leading to an innings-and-242-run defeat. This was their greatest loss, surpassing the innings-and-239-run defeat to India in Nagpur in 2017.

Spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon were instrumental, taking 16 wickets collectively as they wrecked Sri Lanka's weak batting order in both innings. Kuhnemann achieved his best test figures with nine wickets for 149 runs.

Sri Lanka's resistance was short-lived. They lost eight wickets in a session before lunch and another seven between lunch and tea, as Australia asserted dominance with strategic bowling and excellent fielding.

Dinesh Chandimal stood out in the first innings with 72 runs, while Jeffrey Vandersay, batting at number nine, provided a counterattack with a half-century in the second innings. His aggressive 53 from 47 balls served as evidence that the pitch was not the problem—only application was required.

Despite hopes that Vandersay could prolong defeat, he fell with just four more runs needed to avoid their worst defeat record. Sri Lanka's batting was inexcusably poor, missing partnerships, discipline, and smart shot selection.

With only two half-centuries in the match, Sri Lanka's fragile batting lineup is expected to undergo significant scrutiny. Changes are anticipated for the upcoming second test in Galle on Thursday.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva expressed hopes of reclaiming the Warne-Murali Trophy, lost to Sri Lanka in 2019. However, Australia now holds a 1-0 lead, keeping the trophy with the visitors. De Silva also aimed to rise to third in the World Test Championship standings but instead saw Sri Lanka drop to seventh.

(With inputs from agencies.)