Rex Clementine in Galle

Hundreds from Usman Khawaja (147) and Steve Smith (104) propelled Australia into the box seat on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka, as they reached 330 for two before rain played spoilsport, bringing an early halt to proceedings in Galle yesterday.

The duo stitched together an unbroken 195-run stand for the third wicket, coming tantalizingly close to breaking the record of 200 runs between Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist, set in Kandy back in 2004.

The day, however, belonged to Steve Smith, who etched his name in cricket’s hall of fame by becoming just the 15th batter in Test history to breach the 10,000-run mark. He joined an elite club of Australian greats – Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting – who had previously crossed the milestone.

Arriving in Galle on 9,999 Test runs, Smith wasted no time in getting the monkey off his back, nudging his very first ball from Prabath Jayasuriya to mid-on and scampering through for a single. It could have been an early walk back to the pavilion, though, as Jayasuriya grassed a sharp return catch in the same over – a chance Sri Lanka would come to rue. Smith made the hosts pay dearly, crafting a sublime 35th Test century, his third in four matches, reaffirming his stature as Australia’s rock in the middle order.

Khawaja, too, had a few lives, with a couple of edges falling just short of the close-in fielders. He survived a major let-off on 74, when Sri Lanka chose not to review a caught behind shout. On 90, another opportunity slipped through Sri Lanka’s fingers as Kusal Mendis, slow to react behind the stumps, spilled a bat-pad chance.

For the stylish left-hander, the hundred was long overdue—his first since the Ashes in June 2023. The 17-Test drought ended in style when he flicked Asitha Fernando to the fine leg boundary, a stroke brimming with elegance and relief.

Despite overcast conditions, Sri Lanka’s lone seamer Asitha Fernando struggled to extract movement, while the spinners failed to keep the batters in check with their inconsistent lines. Fernando did have Travis Head trapped leg before wicket early on, but Sri Lanka, once again, failed to review after the on-field umpire ruled in the batter’s favor.

Head, promoted to open, threw caution to the wind, blazing his way to 57 off just 40 balls. His aggressive stroke play forced Sri Lanka onto the back foot, though his counterattack ended when he holed out to long-on while trying to take on Jayasuriya.

Still, the damage had been done – Head’s early fireworks scattered the field, allowing Khawaja to settle in and play the anchor role. His unbeaten 147, coupled with Smith’s 104 not out, has laid the foundation for a massive first-innings total.

With three specialist spinners in their ranks, Australia hold all the aces, especially with the pitch expected to deteriorate as the game progresses. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will need something extraordinary to claw their way back into the contest.