Australia finished the opening day of the series in a dominant position at 330 for 2 with rain ending play after 81.1 overs. Khawaja and Smith have combined for an unbroken third-wicket 195-run partnership to capitalise on the batting-friendly conditions in the perfect start for an Australian side striving for a first series victory in Sri Lanka since 2011.

Having averaged 66 in 38 previous Tests as captain, Smith has clearly enjoyed taking the leadership reins with Pat Cummins on paternity leave. He was in sublime form after lunch and reached his half-century in 57 balls before showing patience in the final session as Sri Lanka talisman Prabath Jayasuriya resorted to a defensive leg stump line.

As gloomy skies threatened, Smith regained his momentum to notch his 35th Test century. He raised his baggy green in a reserved celebration with Smith having peeled off three tons in his last seven Test innings.

Brief scores:
Australia 330 for 2 (Usman Khawaja 147*, Steven Smith 104*, Travis Head 57, Marnus Labuschagne 20; Jeffrey Vandersay 1-93, Prabath Jayasuriya 1-102) vs Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat, aiming to finish their tournament with a victory. Openers Sanjana Kavindi and Sumudu Nisansala provided a solid start, guiding Sri Lanka to 36-0 by the end of the powerplay. However, Lily Bassingthwaighte broke the partnership before Tegan Williamson dismissed Kavindi, leaving Sri Lanka at 56-2 at the halfway mark.

From there, Australia maintained control, striking at regular intervals to prevent any major partnerships and restricting Sri Lanka to 99. Bassingthwaighte was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets, while Williamson and Hasrat Gill chipped in with two scalps each.

Australia stumbled in their run chase, losing three early wickets. Caoimhe Bray and Eleanor Larosa steadied the innings with a 41-run partnership, but the lower order couldn’t see the chase through, as Australia fell short by 12 runs.

Chamudi Praboda starred with the ball for Sri Lanka, finishing with figures of 2/13, while Pramudi Methsara and Aseni Thalagune also impressed, claiming two wickets each. Limansa Thilakaratne was named Player of the Match for her bowling figures of 1/18 and a quick 6 off 6 with the bat.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women Under 19s 99/8 in 20 overs [Sanjana Kavindi 19, Sumudu Nisansala 18, Manudi Nanayakkara 15, Hiruni Hansika 14; Hasrat Gill 2-18, Lilly Bassinghwaighte 3-07, Tegan Williamson 2-19] beat Australia Women Under 19s 87/8 in 20 overs [Ines Mckeon 10, Lucy Hamilton 10, Caoimhe Bray 27, Eleanor Larosa 18, Grace Lyons 10*; Chamodi Parboda 2-13, Pramudi Methsara 2-16, Limansa Thilakarathna 1-18, Aseni Thalagune 2-18] by 12 runs

Stand-in captain Steven Smith scored his 10,000th Test run before compiling a majestic half-century, while Usman Khawaja reached his 16th ton as Australia were rewarded for an aggressive approach against a spin-heavy Sri Lanka attack on a slow Galle surface.

Australia moved to a dominant position on the opening day of the series after a wicketless second session. Khawaja and Smith have combined for an unbroken third-wicket 126-run partnership to capitalise on the batting-friendly conditions.

Smith, who averaged 66 in 38 previous Tests as captain, reached his half-century in 57 balls before slowing down before tea.

He had been perched on 9999 runs after agonisingly falling short of the landmark in the fifth Test against India on his SCG home ground.

But Smith reached the milestone on his first delivery just before lunch with a flick to mid-on to join Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh as the only Australians to achieve the milestone. He earned a strong ovation from his teammates and the jovial Australia fans in the terraces as he celebrated with a modest wave of the bat.

Brief scores: [Day 1 Tea]
Australia 261 for 2 in 60 overs (Usman Khawaja 119*, Steven Smith 64*, Travis Head 57, Jeffrey Vandersay 1-67, Prabath Jayasuriya 1-88) vs Sri Lanka

[Cricinfo]