Australia batters Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja’s centuries have helped the side to dominate on day 01 of the first test of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka 2025.
Their solid stance has turned the tables on Sri Lanka as they completed the play with 330/2 at Stumps. After struggling sessions, the spinner stuck to bowling lines outside the leg stump.
It seemed like a ploy of hope from the Sri Lanka spinners, waiting for the set batters to make a mistake. But their efforts were ineffective as Smith was content by padding the balls away. Jayasuriya did take the edge of Khawaja but the batter’s slow sweep fell safely near deep square-leg.
Khawaja bounced back to form by scoring 16th test hundred on day 01. It was his first hundred after a long gap of 19 months. His last hundred was during the first test of the Ashes 2023 at Edgbaston.
A big day for these two veterans … and they’re not done yet! #SLvAUS
Full report from @ARamseyCricket in Galle: https://t.co/8K2boPK0MV pic.twitter.com/0PdCdnkBjQ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 29, 2025
Following his magnificient ton, he became the sixth Australian opener to score a century in Sri Lanka.
Khawaja started his innings steadily scoring just three runs off the first 15 balls and got his innings going with a boundary against Asitha Fernando in the fifth over of the innings.
Meanwhile, Travis Head also got into the groove and went after Nishan Peiris smashing him for a boundary and a maximum.
Australia lost Head’s wicket for 92 runs, but Khawaja continued to score and brought and up his half century off 71 deliveries with a single against Prabath Jayasuriya.
The opener even got a score of 54, being dropped by the Sri Lanka captain Dhanajaya de Silva at Slip.
Khawaja looked determined to set a huge score as he joined Steve Smith and the duo began to frustrate Sri lanka at Galle.
Smith who came to bat, started aggressive while Khawaja played as second fiddle and continued to rotate strike and found occasional boundaries.
Meanwhile Smith also brough up his fifty off 57 balls, and joined Khawaja to make an unbeaten 195 run stand by the end of day 01 at Galle.
