Lyon and Head rip through Sri Lanka as Australia ease to 10-wicket win

Asitha
Fernando
dismissed
Pat
Cummins
and
Mitchell
Swepson
in
the
second
over
of
the
day
to
bowl
the
tourists
out
for
321
at
the
Galle
International
Stadium
on
Friday.

That
gave
the
World
Test
Championship
leaders
a
109-run
advantage
and
they
were
only
just
required
to
bat
again,
as
Sri
Lanka
were
skittled
out
for
only
113
in
a
second
innings
that
lasted
only
22.5
overs.

1

53770

Australia
were
set
five
to
win
and
David
Warner
struck
Ramesh
Mendis
for
four
and
then
a
six
to
give
them
a
1-0
lead
in
the
two-match
series.

Dimuth
Karunaratne,
who
top
scored
with
23,
and
Pathum
Nissanka
combined
for
an
opening
stand
of
37,
but
that
proved
to
be
a
false
dawn
as
they
endured
an
almighty
collapse
on
a
miserable
day
in
which
they
lost
Angelo
Mathews
to
COVID-19.

Lyon
(4-31)
had
captain
Karunaratne
caught
behind
and
Swepson
trapped
Nissanka
(14)
leg
before
prior
to
Kusal
Mendis
falling
to
Australia’s
premier
spinner.

Swepson
(2-34)
had
Oshada
Fernando
–
drafted
in
to
replace
Mathews
–
caught
by
Steve
Smith
in
the
slips
before
part-time
spinner
Head,
who
had
not
previously
taken
a
Test
wicket,
got
in
on
the
act.

Head
generated
sharp
turn
from
outside
off
stump
to
bowl
Dinesh
Chandimal
and
got
rid
of
Dhananjaya
de
Silva
in
his
next
over
as
the
procession
of
wickets
continued.

Sorry
Sri
Lanka
lost
their
last
six
wickets
for
18
runs,
Lyon
adding
another
two
to
his
tally
to
claim
nine
for
the
match
and
Head
making
a
case
that
he
should
bowl
more
often
as
he
finished
with
brilliant
figures
of
4-10.

Lyon
moves
into
top
10

Sri
Lanka
were
unable
to
handle
Lyon,
who
finished
with
match
figures
of
9-121.

That
moved
the
tweaker
into
the
top
10
on
the
list
of
the
all-time
highest
Test
wicket-takers
with
435,
level
with
India
legend
Kapil
Dev.

Sri
Lanka’s
batting
woes
come
to
a
Head

Batter
Head
sent
down
228
deliveries
in
his
Test
career
without
taking
a
wicket
before
he
stepped
up
to
resemble
a
frontline
spinner
on
a
dramatic
third
day.

He
picked
up
his
four
scalps
in
only
2.5
overs,
adding
insult
to
injury
on
a
nightmare
day
for
Sri
Lanka.