Australia has achieved a clean sweep of the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, clinching the second match by nine wickets after easily chasing down a modest target of 75 runs in Galle. This follow-up victory came on the heels of a commanding win in the opening Test, where Australia triumphed by an innings and 242 runs, securing the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy.
The second Test concluded swiftly before lunch on day four, with Travis Head (20), Usman Khawaja (27*), and Marnus Labuschagne (26*) effortlessly handling the chase, even on the challenging Galle pitch. This victory marks Australia’s first Test series win in Sri Lanka since 2011, highlighting the significance of this achievement.
A testament to the time elapsed since that last series, Nathan Lyon, who made his debut in 2011, reached a milestone in this series by becoming only the seventh player in history to capture 550 Test wickets. He claimed his 553rd wicket by dismissing Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka’s overnight not-out batsman and key player in attempting to set a challenging target.
Mendis, who had already notched up his second half-century of the match, fell to Lyon shortly after reaching the milestone, top-edging a delivery that was caught by Steve Smith, marking Smith’s 200th Test catch.
Sri Lanka faced some tense moments, with Lahiru Kumara surviving two LBW reviews and a questionable catch claim by Beau Webster. However, Webster ultimately ended Sri Lanka’s innings at 231 by clean bowling Kumara for his second wicket. This set the stage for Australia’s brief run chase, which concluded in just 18 overs, sealing a dominant series victory.
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