Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage took four wickets to give a hapless Australia their lowest-ever total in Asia with a 174-run loss in the second and final ODI.

Chasing a target of 282 in Colombo, a much-changed Australia – testing their lineup for next week’s Champions Trophy – were bundled out for a meager 107.

The spectacular collapse saw them lose their last seven wickets for just 28 runs.

“Not the best result we wanted. We used lot of players and everyone got a game,” Australia captain Steve Smith said. “Credit to Sri Lanka. They deserved the series win. We struggled a bit in Colombo … Their bowlers were superb.”

Asitha Fernando set the tone with a fiery opening spell of 3-23 in four overs before the spinners tightened the screws.

Wellalage triggered the collapse, bamboozling Josh Inglis with a skiddy arm ball that crashed into the stumps. In his next over, he delivered another peach, rattling the dangerous Glenn Maxwell’s timber to finish 4-35.

Wanindu Hasaranga joined the party from the other end to take three more including Smith, who was trapped plumb in front.

This emphatic victory sealed a 2-0 series win for Sri Lanka against the one-day world champions and propelled them to fifth in the ODI rankings.

It also told the cricketing world that Sri Lanka’s absence from the upcoming Champions Trophy, after finishing ninth in the 2023 World Cup, will be felt.

“Not often you beat Australia,” Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said. “Today was our day and the spinners did a superb job.

“We are disappointed that we are not in the Champions Trophy … the important thing is that we don’t get into a similar situation again.”

Sri Lanka’s batting had been under the microscope in recent weeks, but the top order silenced critics with a commanding display.

Kusal Mendis was the star of the show, crafting a superb 101, his fifth ton in ODIs and first against Australia.

He found ample support from half-centuries by Nishan Madushka (51) and Asalanka.

Fresh from a match-winning hundred in the opener, Asalanka bludgeoned an unbeaten 78 off just 66 balls, peppering the boundary with six fours and three towering sixes.

The foundation was laid by a 98-run partnership between Kusal and Madushka for the second wicket, stabilising the innings after an early loss.

Kusal then built on the momentum, stitching a 94-run stand with Asalanka for the fourth wicket.

Australia made five changes as they fine-tune their lineup ahead of next week’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai.

Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Travis Head, Josh Inglis and Ben Dwarshuis all came in. Out went Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne, Cooper Connolly, Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis.

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Charith Asalanka captained Sri Lanka to a stunning comeback against world champions Australia to clinch a 49-run victory in the first ODI on Wednesday.

Defending a modest target of 215, Sri Lanka bowled out the visitors for 165 inside 34 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Asalanka smashed a career-best 127 before chipping in with the crucial wicket of Alex Carey, while Maheesh Theekshana took 4-40 to help scuttle Australia’s chase.

“Really pleased with the knock,” Asalanka said. “It wasn’t easy batting out there … Had to settle in and then batting with the tail had to take a few risks, and glad it all paid off.”

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka found themselves in dire straits at 133-8 in the 33rd over, with Australia’s four-pronged pace attack running riot.

Asalanka’s strike rate was just shy of a run a ball and included 14 fours and five sixes.

His ninth-wicket stand with Eshan Malinga was a stadium record of 79, even though the tailender made just a solitary run from 26 balls.

“He hung in there and all we wanted to do was to take the game as deep as possible,” Asalanka said. “If not for that partnership we wouldn’t have got over the line.”

Asalanka refused to throw in the towel and was last man out when he was deceived by a cleverly disguised slower delivery from Sean Abbott (3-61).

The packed crowd rose to their feet to see him back to the pavilion, while opposite number Steve Smith and wicketkeeper Alex Carey acknowledged his knock with a pat on the back.

Australia’s chase never really got going, with Asitha Fernando dismissing both openers cheaply before Sri Lanka’s spinners tightened the noose.

Dunith Wellalage struck with his very first ball to clean up Smith, who had tormented Sri Lanka with back-to-back centuries in the Test series.

Smith misjudged a slog sweep and was out before he had settled in, a huge breakthrough that sent the crowd into raptures.

White-ball stalwarts Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head were rested to give other squad members match practice ahead of the Champions Trophy beginning in Pakistan and Dubai on 19 February.

Australia’s bid to win that tournament has been dealt a major setback with their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all ruled out.

Sri Lanka did not qualify for the Champions Trophy.

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Australia won the second Test against Sri Lanka by nine wickets in Galle on Sunday to sweep the series 2-0.

Set a target of 75 to win, Australia lost only Travis Head as they romped to a commanding victory before lunch on day four.

Steve Smith’s men had earlier on Sunday bundled Sri Lanka out for 231, after the hosts had resumed on 211-8 from overnight.

Sri Lanka’s resistance lasted just 26 minutes, losing Kusal Mendis for 50 and Lahiru Kumara for nine.

Spinners Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann took four wickets each for Australia.

The duo spun a web around the hosts, making full use of a dust bowl tailor-made for turn.

Kuhnemann, playing just his fifth Test, upstaged the seasoned Lyon, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 16.

The left-arm spinner bowled impeccable line and length, a performance even more remarkable given that he had broken his right thumb just two weeks before the first Test.

Sri Lanka’s fragile batting meant their fortunes rested heavily on Kusal Mendis, who had already played a fine hand in the first innings with an unbeaten 85.

In the second innings, he carried on the fight, bringing up his half-century with a crisp punch through covers off Lyon.

However, the joy was short-lived.

Off the next ball, Mendis was done in by extra bounce, top-edging an attempted flick straight into the hands of Steve Smith.

The Australian skipper entered an elite club, becoming only the fifth player in Test history to complete 200 catches – alongside Rahul Dravid, Joe Root, Mahela Jayawardene and Jacques Kallis.

Australia celebrated a crushing victory in the first Test, with the innings and 242-run humiliation Sri Lanka’s worst defeat in Test history.

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Australia are two wickets away from ending Sri Lanka’s second innings in the second Test, with the hosts reeling at 211-8 at stumps on day three in Galle.

With Sri Lanka leading by only 54 runs, Steve Smith’s side will be eager to mop up the tail early on Sunday and seal a 2-0 sweep.

Angelo Mathews was the linchpin of Sri Lanka’s innings, holding things together as wickets tumbled at the other end.

But just 15 minutes before the close of play, he swept Nathan Lyon straight to square leg, where Beau Webster pocketed a sharp chance.

The 37-year-old warhorse had dug deep for a fighting half-century, but Sri Lanka needed a marathon knock, not his well-compiled 76.

Mathews finds himself in the crosshairs, with just one fifty in his last eight innings.

Ahead of this Test, the selectors had made it clear, unless he starts churning out big runs, his spot in the next cycle of the World Test Championship was not fixed.

His sixth-wicket partnership with Kusal Mendis worth 70 runs was a lifeline for Sri Lanka, preventing an innings implosion and ensuring the game stretched into a fourth day.

There was an unusual moment in the afternoon session when a delivery from Lyon drifted down the leg-side.

It clipped the helmet placed behind the wicketkeeper for a close-in fielder, and triggered an automatic five-run penalty for Sri Lanka, a rare bonus in a match where runs were hard to come by.

With the picturesque Galle Fort providing a natural grandstand, hundreds of Australian supporters perched themselves atop the historic ramparts to enjoy a commanding performance from their side.

The fans celebrated as off-spinner Lyon became only the third Australian to claim 550 Test wickets, joining the exalted company of Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563).

Lyon was well-supported by Matthew Kuhnemann, sharing seven wickets between them.

Earlier, Alex Carey turned entertainer-in-chief with a swashbuckling 156, his career-best knock, peppered with 15 fours and two towering sixes.

While Smith (131) also took another big hundred, his second of the series, it was Carey who made batting look easy.

With Sri Lanka on the ropes and Australia poised for the knockout punch, day four promises high drama.

The visitors have already put the Warne-Murali Trophy beyond Sri Lanka’s reach, having taken an unassailable 1-0 lead with a crushing victory in the first Test.

That innings and 242-run humiliation stands as Sri Lanka’s worst defeat in Test history.

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Commanding centuries from Steve Smith and Alex Carey gave Australia a dominating lead at stumps on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Australia, leading by 73 runs at 330-3, were poised to post a mammoth first-innings total, with Smith and Carey stitching together an unbroken 259-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers showed some early flair but the spinners struggled to get the same fizz off the surface once the ball lost its bite, and Smith exploited the gap.

The Australia captain made a scratchy start and his innings could have been cut short on 24, when he was judged lbw to Nishan Peiris. However, a timely review saved him and Smith never looked back.

Smith tightened his grip on the contest with elegant cover drives and precise pull shots.

He took a few calculated risks and, with Sri Lanka lacking a substantial total to defend, the field was soon spread out to cut off boundaries rather than hunt for wickets.

That didn’t deter the Australian captain, who pierced the gaps with ease in dispatching nine fours and a six.

He brought up his 36th Test hundred in style, pulling part-timer Kamindu Mendis to the mid-wicket boundary.

Carey was promoted to No 5 in place of Josh Inglis, who was off the field nursing a sore back, and grabbed his chance, racing to his half-century in 68 deliveries.

His hundred came with a well-timed sweep to the boundary, taking just 118 balls to reach the milestone, and finished with a career-best 139 off 156 balls that included 13 fours and two sixes.

Sri Lanka were earlier bowled out for 257, having resumed on their overnight score of 229-9.

Kusal Mendis played a lone hand with a spectacular 85* but he ran out of partners as the Australian bowlers wrapped up the innings after some late resistance.

The visitors have already put the Warne-Murali Trophy beyond Sri Lanka’s reach, having taken an unassailable 1-0 lead with a crushing victory in the first Test.

The innings and 242-run humiliation stands as Sri Lanka’s worst defeat in Test history.

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Australia were firmly in the driving seat despite a spirited Sri Lankan fightback to reach 229-9 at stumps on day one of the second Test in Galle.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon took three wickets apiece.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss and opted to bat, had looked to be in control at 93-1 – putting behind them the loss of the first Test by an innings and 242 runs last week.

But Dimuth Karunaratne – in his 100th and final Test – was slow to bring his bat down, dragging a ball from Lyon on to his stumps for 36 and handing Australia a crucial breakthrough.

The hosts soon nosedived to 127-5 during a chaotic hour that left Sri Lanka reeling.

Amidst the ruins, Dinesh Chandimal stood tall.

Sri Lanka’s standout performer in the first Test amid the wreckage, Chandimal waged a lone battle with a defiant, back-to-the-wall 74, peppered with six boundaries and a towering six.

Just as he looked set to take Sri Lanka to safer shores, Alex Carey produced a moment of brilliance – stumping Chandimal off left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann to send alarm bells ringing.

The only remaining recognised batsman, Kusal Mendis, found a willing ally in off-spinner Ramesh Mendis.

Recalled to the side for this crucial clash, Ramesh played the perfect supporting act, adding a vital 65-run stand for the seventh wicket with his namesake.

The Australians threw everything at them, but the duo held firm, negotiating the sharp turn and extra bounce with aplomb.

While Ramesh was rock-solid in defence, Kusal took a more aggressive route.

The tourists, frustrated by their inability to break the stand, eventually turned to the second new ball – and Starc delivered with immediate effect.

Steaming in at speeds north of 145kph, Starc was relentless, with Ramesh edging one behind.

The left-arm quick struck again off the very next delivery, with Prabath Jayasuriya feathering one to the slip cordon, leaving the Australians sniffing a collapse.

With Starc on a hat-trick, Nishan Peiris walked in under immense pressure – and was bowled by Kuhnemann.

Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis kept the scoreboard ticking and reached his well-earned half-century with a single to long-off.

Hundreds of Australian supporters have travelled to Galle, with former players Geoff Marsh and Merv Hughes leading large touring contingents.

Sri Lanka made three changes to the side that slumped to their heaviest Test defeat in the series opener, bringing in opener Pathum Nissanka, fast bowler Lahiru Kumara and Ramesh Mendis.

Australia handed a debut to 21-year-old all-rounder Cooper Connolly in place of Todd Murphy.

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Australia are on guard for a spin trap when the second and final Test gets underway in Galle on Thursday despite an unassailable lead in the series.

Steve Smith’s men blew the hosts out of the water in the opening contest, winning by an innings and 242 runs – the heaviest defeat Sri Lanka has suffered in Test cricket.

That game, also played in Galle, was on a good batting deck, but the pitch for the second Test looks a different beast altogether.

“This looks like a very dry surface. Dare say it’s going to turn square,” Smith told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re not naming a team just yet. We’ll take a call in the morning once we have a better read on the conditions.”

Despite already bagging the Warne-Murali Trophy and a place in the World Test Championship final secured, Smith has no intention of taking the foot off the pedal and wants a sweep.

“I thought we played really well last week, controlling the game from the outset. We didn’t do that last time we were here, so it would be a great achievement to win 2-0,” he said.

Sri Lanka are expected to shuffle the pack for the second Test after the last bruising innings loss.

Opening batsman Pathum Nissanka is set to return, having recovered from a groin injury, and will replace Oshada Fernando.

Off-spinner Ramesh Mendis is likely to come back into the XI in place of Nishan Peiris, whose 41 wicketless overs leaked 189 runs in the first Test.

“Pathum has been declared fit and he will play. But we haven’t finalised our bowling combination yet,” said Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva.

De Silva admitted that Sri Lanka let themselves down with the bat in the opener.

“It wasn’t the typical Galle wicket last time around. It was a disappointing Test match because we should have batted much better than that,” he said.

“Too many guys got starts but failed to kick on. We know where things went wrong, and we’re looking to correct those mistakes.”

Sri Lanka will also be playing for one of their finest openers, Dimuth Karunaratne, who is set to retire after what will be his 100th Test appearance.

“Dimuth has been a fabulous leader and an exceptional player,” De Silva said. “He has done some amazing things for the team and, without a doubt, ranks as the best opening batter Sri Lanka has ever produced. We want to give him a fitting farewell.”

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Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest defeat in Test history on Saturday as Australia flexed their muscles to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with a crushing victory by an innings and 242 runs.

The contest was wrapped up before tea on day four, with rookie left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann’s match-winning spell delivering him career-best figures of 9-149 over both innings.

“We were put under pressure,” Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said. “The batters should have put up a better show.”

Kuhnemann underwent surgery only two weeks ago on a broken right thumb sustained during the Big Bash League and battled through the match in pain, requiring constant medical attention.

He was well-supported by the ever-dependable Nathan Lyon, who spun a web around the Sri Lankan batsmen to finish with seven wickets in the match.

Sri Lanka’s heaviest defeat before Saturday was in Nagpur in 2017, when India hammered them by an innings and 239.

Sri Lanka resumed on 136-5 overnight but their first innings folded for 165, losing their last five wickets for a mere nine runs.

Put straight back in to bat chasing 489, they lost three wickets before lunch and then capitulated in the second session – a humiliating finish for a team once renowned for its prowess on turning tracks.

Dinesh Chandimal had waged a lonely battle in the first innings to top score with 72 and, with Angelo Mathews, stitched together one of only two 50-plus partnerships in the second.

However, he was sent back for 31 on the last ball before lunch when he gloved Lyon to Travis Head at short leg.

Oshada Fernando failed to make an impact in his return to the side, undone by a sharp inswinger from Mitchell Starc that trapped him plumb in front for six to go with his first-innings seven.

Former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne’s horror run with the bat continued after an avoidable dismissal for nought by Todd Murphy.

Rain forced an early lunch on day three before washing out the final two sessions.

Australia declared on 654-6 late on the second day after opener Usman Khawaja’s career-best 232.

“Galle is a tough place to play cricket and we are very happy with this win,” Khawaja said. “I’ve played a lot of cricket in Sri Lanka, this being my fifth tour. I’ve made lot of mistakes before. I guess all that experience came in handy in this game.”

Stand-in captain Steve Smith also had a game to remember, becoming only the fourth Australian to breach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket on the first ball he faced.

He finished his innings with a masterful 141, while wicketkeeper Josh Inglis hit a century on debut.

Galle will host the second and final match of the series next week before a two-match ODI series in Colombo.

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Afternoon rain forced an early end to day three of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, with former home captain Dinesh Chandimal waging a lone battle on 63.

Sri Lanka were 136-5 by lunch in Galle, with wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis also at the crease on 10, after losing two more wickets from their overnight 44-3.

The break was called early and players were kept off the pitch through the afternoon, with officials calling an end 90 minutes before the scheduled finish.

Kamindu Mendis departed for 15 after an edge to the keeper off Mitchell Starc, further denting the Bradman-like average he maintained at the start of his Test comeback last year.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva looked comfortable before rushing down the track to Matthew Kuhnemann and missing the ball completely, gifting Alex Carey a regulation stumping and leaving for 22.

Left-arm speedster Starc expertly created rough patches outside the off stump, while Nathan Lyon relentlessly probed away from the other end.

Chandimal, who was promoted to the crucial No 3 position last year and has since averaged over 50, stood firm despite the uphill battle to avoid the follow-on.

Australia declared on 654-6 late on the second day after opener Usman Khawaja’s career-best 232.

The opening day saw stand-in captain Steve Smith join the elite club of 10,000 career Test run-makers, the 15th player and fourth Australian to reach the milestone.

Picturesque Galle will also host the second and final match of the series next week before a two-match ODI series in Colombo.

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Australia had Sri Lanka three down after opener Usman Khawaja’s first double century and a ton on debut by Josh Inglis helped the tourists to 654-6 declared in the first Test.

Sri Lanka were 44-3 by stumps on day two in Galle with senior batsmen Dinesh Chandimal, on nine, and Kamindu Mendis, on 13, on guard until rain stopped play.

Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann struck first to have Oshada Fernando lbw and soon pace spearhead Mitchell Starc got Dimuth Karunaratne caught at gully. Both batsmen made seven.

Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon then sent back former captain Angelo Mathews (eight) with Travis Head taking a diving catch at short leg.

Khawaja’s 266-run third-wicket partnership with Steve Smith, who hit 141 in a landmark innings that got the stand-in skipper to 10,000 Test runs, stood out after Australia elected to bat first at the start of the two-match series.

It was the first time the tourists had breached the 600-run mark in Sri Lanka, surpassing their previous Asian high of 617, posted in Pakistan in 1980.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey was unbeaten on 46 with Mitchell Starc on 19 when Smith declared the first innings in the final session.

Inglis made it count when he walked in after Smith departed on 141 in a landmark innings that got the stand-in skipper to 10,000 Test runs.

He made 102 and with Khawaja kept up the batting surge in a 146-run stand to tire out the opposition attack.

Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya broke the partnership to get Khawaja caught behind as the opener walked back after 352 balls that included 16 fours and one six.

Inglis reached his ton off 90 balls as he jumped in delight and punched the air.

But he got out in the next over as he gave away a catch to short cover off Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya and fellow spinner Jeffrey Vandersay took three wickets each as Sri Lanka toiled for 154 overs.

The tourists resumed on 330-2 as overnight batsmen Khawaja and Smith frustrated the opposition attack on a sunny morning.

Khawaja took a single off Jayasuriya to reach 200 as he removed his helmet, raised his bat and dropped down to kiss the turf while teammates and fans stood up to applaud.

His previous best was an unbeaten 195 against South Africa in 2023 at Sydney and he is now the first Australian batsman to make a double ton in Sri Lanka.

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