Rex Clementine in Galle

Only 27 overs of the scheduled 98 were possible on the third day of the first Test in Galle on Friday, but Australia tightened their grip on the contest, reducing Sri Lanka to 136 for five. Still trailing by a massive 518 runs, the visitors will be praying for the rain gods to come to their rescue over the next two days.

Resuming on a shaky 44 for three, Sri Lanka were dealt an early blow when Kamindu Mendis feathered one down the leg-side off Mitchell Starc.

Since his return to the side last year, Kamindu’s numbers had been Bradmanesque, earning him the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. But cricket, as they say, is a great leveler, and in recent months, the runs have dried up.

Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva followed suit before lunch, undone by Matthew Kuhnemann’s guile. Attempting to take the left-arm spinner on, he charged down the track but found himself in no man’s land, stumped in rather tame fashion.

The Aussies have been meticulous in plotting their dismissals. From the Dutch Fort End, Starc roughed up the surface outside the right-hander’s off-stump, creating treacherous footholes. From the other end, Nathan Lyon was like a surgeon landing the ball precisely in those rough patches, making survival an ordeal for Sri Lanka’s batters.

Yet, amid the wreckage, Dinesh Chandimal stood tall, playing spin with soft hands, sharp footwork and a rock-solid defense. With little support from the other end, he farmed the strike smartly, picked the gaps, and notched up yet another half-century.

Since his elevation to number three last year, Chandimal has been Sri Lanka’s batting mainstay, averaging over 50. He remained unbeaten on 63, looking every bit the man for a crisis, well set for a big one.

With more rain expected on day four, a bit more grit from Sri Lanka’s batters could help them salvage a draw. But this pitch is no featherbed – spinners have plenty to work with, and batting through two days will be a tall order.

“It’ll be up to the captain and coach to decide whether to enforce the follow-on,” said Kuhnemann.

“They’ll get together tonight and come up with a plan for us tomorrow morning and we’ll go from there,” he added.

“Chandimal is batting beautifully at the moment. He played some lovely shots against all of us. It’s just whether or not we’re trying to block that boundary option for him and get him defending, get him out caught bat pad or slip.”

Australia’s menacing attack was left frustrated after the final two sessions of day three were washed out as Sri Lanka had respite from a Galle surface starting to play tricks.

The day started amid sunny conditions and 27 overs were bowled before rain cascaded on the ground out of nowhere just before lunch. There was no further play for the remainder of the day, with stumps called more than two hours ahead of schedule.

In response to Australia’s massive first-innings of 654 for 6 declared, Sri Lanka were 136 for 5 at stumps with Dinesh Chandimal playing a lone hand so far with an attractive 63 not out. Kusal Mendis is unbeaten on 10.

Australia are still in the box seat to claim victory in the first Test after dominating the opening seven sessions of the match. But the wet weather has added intrigue and given Sri Lanka hope of escaping with a draw. Rain is forecast for Saturday, but clear weather is expected on the fifth day.

The pitch had been mostly benign over the opening two days with sharp turn negated by the slowness of the surface. But it did start showing signs of wear in the morning session with several cracks notable and the ball occasionally exploded off the surface.

[Cricinfo]

A clinical all-round performance from defending champions India in the second semi-final against England secured their entry into the Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup final. In a rematch of the 2023 final, India kept England down to 113 thanks to a dominant show from their spinners. The top order led by G Kamalini, who scored an unbeaten 56, then razed down India’s target with five overs to spare.