Australia hit back with four wickets in the second session

Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 2025

• Sri Lanka's solid start undone as they lose four wickets in the second session
• Nathan Lyon picks up three wickets, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc take one each
• Dinesh Chandimal scores 70* to keep Sri Lanka afloat

Sri Lanka's first session batting solidity was undone as they lost four wickets in the second session to find themselves in a precarious position – 144/5 – at Tea on Day 1 in Galle. Nathan Lyon picked up three wickets, while Travis Head and Mitchell Starc took one each to give Australia early control in the game.

Despite Lyon's early strike to dismiss Pathum Nissanka, Sri Lanka showed ability to fight back with a solid stand from two senior pros Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal. However, both fell in quick succession after the break. Karunaratne was the first to fall, getting cleaned up by Lyon from round the stumps. Angelo Mathews was also snuffed out by Lyon after he went into a shell defending away and edged one behind to Alex Carey.

Travis Head struck in the first over after drinks to dismiss Kamindu Mendis, while Mitchell Starc dismissed the Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva right away. Dhananjaya chased after a full and wide delivery from Starc and edged it to Beau Webster at gully.

Dinesh Chandimal carried on from the morning session to bring up his 32nd Test fifty even as wickets fell around him. He finished the session – in the company of Kusal Mendis – with nearly half the team's total to his name.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 144/5 (Dinesh Chandimal 70*; Nathan Lyon 3-47) vs Australia