Smith: Adapting to Galle’s tough conditions was the game-changer

Rex Clementine in Galle

Australia broke a 14-year hoodoo in Sri Lanka, sealing a commanding 2-0 series triumph on Sunday in Galle. The visitors had already inflicted Sri Lanka’s worst-ever Test defeat in the series opener – an innings and 242-run hammering at the same venue last week. They wrapped things up with a clinical nine-wicket win, putting an emphatic full stop to their dominance.

Since Ricky Ponting’s men clinched a 1-0 victory in 2011, Australia had struggled on Sri Lankan soil. They were whitewashed 3-0 in 2016 and settled for a 1-1 draw in 2022. But for Steve Smith, this tour was about unfinished business. Having led the side during that 2016 humiliation, he returned determined to set the record straight. Stepping up in the absence of Pat Cummins, Smith led from the front with twin centuries, steering Australia to a series win and earning the Player of the Series award.

“I thought it was a really good series, and we hit the ground running from the outset. The batters had clear plans, and the way they adapted to conditions was superb. Everyone had their own methods and stuck to them for long periods, which paid off handsomely. Our spinners bowled well, and Mitchell Starc, our lone quick, played his role to perfection. A great series win,” Smith said.

The Aussies had done their homework, with a week-long training camp in Dubai helping them fine-tune their game against spin. “We worked out a few things there,” Smith explained. “Guys like Khawaja, Carey, and Inglis are good sweepers of the ball, while Marnus and I prefer coming down the wicket. Head, on the other hand uses the crease, creates angles to disrupt bowlers. Everyone stuck to their strengths, and that’s been the key to our success.”

For Sri Lanka, it was another tale of woe. Under-fire skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, feeling the heat after four consecutive losses and a barren run with the bat, admitted that his side’s batting had let them down.

“The first innings is always crucial, and we didn’t make the most of it. A total of 260 isn’t going to win you Test matches. Losing four wickets in an hour in the first innings put us on the back foot, and from there, we were always chasing the game,” de Silva conceded.

With this win, Australia not only exorcised the demons of 2016 but also sent a strong message ahead of future subcontinent challenges. For Sri Lanka, however, it’s back to the drawing board.