It took Sri Lanka 17 years to earn their second ever Test win against Australia, coming as it did last Saturday in Pallekelle. It took them only a week though to get their third, and with it, the series as well, as Sri Lanka stormed to a 229-run victory on only the third day of the second Test in Galle.
Australia were yet again left befuddled as their batsmen's woes against spin were brutally exposed, and crashed to a dispiriting loss. Dilruwan Perera was the star of the show yet again, taking his first ever ten-wicket haul in a match. The 34-year-old off-spinner had starred with the bat too, scoring a stroke-filled half-century during his side's second innings.
Sri Lanka started the day's play having snared three Australian wickets in the final hour of day two. There was no change in David Warner's strategy. The southpaw used his feet at will and cracked as many as five fours in quick succession. Skipper Steve Smith was grinding it out and for the first time in the Test, Australia looked like building a semblance of order in terms of partnerships.
Warner, who had rattled Perera till that point, was deceived by a straighter one from the off-spinner, and got his marching orders after being given out leg-before. A review was taken too but it clearly showed the ball clipping the leg stump. The batting script continued wear a look of deja vu as Warner's dismissal triggered yet another collapse. At the stroke of lunch, Sri Lanka were only three wickets shy of victory.
Smith battled hard and Sri Lanka went for a review this time after Kaushal Silva took a sharp catch at backward short-leg. Replays showed that there was a faint edge. Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh were doing a half-decent job at blunting the spinners. After putting in the initial hard work, Voges, who saw his mind-boggling average drop to the 80's after this Test, will have some explaining to do as to why he went for a reverse sweep. The 36-year-old made a mess of it and the ball crashed onto the stumps.
Mathews continued to have more fun with reviews as Marsh was adjudged out too, after being rapped on the pads by Lakshan Sandakan. Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc showed positive intent but the latter went for one big shot too many and ended up bowled. The last two wickets didn't last long and it was aptly Kusal Mendis who landed the final blow, showing cat-like reflexes at forward short-leg to catch Nevill out of the crease.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 281 (Kusal Mendis 86, Angelo Mathews 54, Kusal Perera 54; Mitchell Starc 5/44) and 237 (Dilruwan Perera 64, Angelo Mathews 47; Mitchell Starc 6 for 50) beat Australia 106 (David Warner 42; Dilruwan Perera 4/29, Rangana Herath 4 for 35) and 183 (David Warner 41, Steve Smith 30 Dilruwan Perera 6 for 70) by 229 runs.
