TOP STORIES

SL vs AUS 2nd Test: Australia target another dominant victory

Wednesday, 05-Feb-2025, 10:27 AM
News

Sri Lanka and Australia are gearing up for the second and final Test, beginning Thursday in Galle. After a dominant performance in the first Test, Australia hold a 1-0 lead and will be eager to seal the series with another commanding victory. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, face an uphill battle to bounce back after their crushing innings and 242-run defeat in the opener.

The first Test saw Australia’s experienced duo, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja, take charge with magnificent century and double-century respectively. Their mammoth contributions ensured Australia amassed a formidable total of 654/6d, leaving Sri Lanka with little breathing space. Sri Lanka, in their first innings, scored 165, compelling Australia to force follow-on. Even after the follow-on, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 247. 

Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled under pressure, failing to counter Australia’s strangling bowling attack. Their inability to put up a competitive first-innings total left them playing catch-up throughout the game. Going into the second Test, Sri Lanka will need Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, and Dhananjaya de Silva to step up if they are to challenge the visitors in order to draw the series. Australia, however, are unlikely to make any changes to their team given their dominant performance in the first Test.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Matches: 34

Draw: 8

Sri Lanka WON: 5

Australia WON: 21

SL Probable XI: Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando

AUS Probable XI: Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Josh Inglis, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy

 

Tags

More News

News

Kieron Pollard named captain of MI Emirates for ILT20 season 4

9 hrs ago

MI Emirates (MIE) have announced Kieron Pollard as their captain for the upcoming season of International League T20 (ILT20). The fourth edition of the tournament begins on December 2, 2025. Nicholas Pooran, who captained MI Emirates last season, remains in the squad. However, his commitments to MI Cape Town in the SA20 — which partially overlaps with ILT20 — m...


News

"Their importance at any point is huge": KL Rahul highlights importance of Rohit and Kohli ahead of 1st ODI against South Africa

11 hrs ago

With Shubman Gill ruled out due to a neck injury, Indian batter KL Rahul will lead the Indian team in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. The first match begins on November 30, 2025, in Ranchi. Rahul has led India in ODIs before, having captained 12 times between 2022 and 2023. 

"Just a day before the announcement, I was told th...


News

Focus shifts to ODIs as India and South Africa meet in Ranchi

12 hrs ago

Following a historic and hard-fought Test series, the spotlight now shifts to the white-ball leg of South Africa’s tour of India. The two sides will meet in the first ODI in Ranchi on Sunday, marking the beginning of a three-match series. India enter the ODI series with a point to prove. They were squarely outplayed in the Tests, falling short in both in bowlin...


News

"When we beat India in...": Babar Azam recalls Pakistan’s historic win

14 hrs ago

Pakistan's batting legend Babar Azam has often spoken about the defining moments of his career, but few memories stand as vividly in his mind as the night of October 24, 2021, when he led Pakistan to a landmark 10-wicket victory over India in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup. 

For years, Pakistan had searched for a World Cup win over their ar...


News

"They come very poorly trained": Ex-Indian players highlights India's batting woes on home soil

16 hrs ago

India’s shocking 0–2 defeat to South Africa in a home Test series has triggered a wave of criticism, with former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar slamming India's batting efforts. Reflecting on India’s inability to cross even 250 in any of their four innings, Manjrekar believed that the core problem lies in India's training.  According to ...