Tea Sri Lanka 327 for 4 (Chandimal 63*, Kamindu 24*, Starc 2-47) trail Australia 364 by 37 runs
Not for the first time, Australia were left to regret burning all their reviews when
Dinesh Chandimal was given a reprieve on the third afternoon in Galle as he became the latest of the senior Sri Lanka batters to make a key contribution to put their team on top in the second Test
By tea, which came early when a brief shower scudded across the ground, Australia had only managed two wickets for the day and Sri Lanka trailed by just 37 with the prospect now of building a useful lead and applying significant pressure in the third innings.
But Australia would have had another success had they been able to review for Chandimal’s outside edge against
Mitchell Starc when on 30, which Kumar Dharmasena had given not out. Just to rub it in for Australia, Chandimal drove the next delivery imperiously through mid-off. He would later move to a 103-ball half-century with a sweep against
Nathan Lyon.
Shortly before Chandimal’s edge, Starc had broken the fourth-wicket stand of 83 when he had
Angelo Mathews sharply taken by Marnus Labuschagne at short leg from an inside edge into the pad. It ended a very measured innings from Mathews, whose half-century had taken 114 balls. It did not prove costly, but replays showed Mathews had also escaped an lbw appeal against Lyon the over before he was out, had Australia been able to review.
Kamindu Mendis showed impressive composure in his debut innings, having plenty of time to play the ball, as Australia’s quicks tried to target him with the short ball.
Australia had struck in the third over of the morning when Lyon won an lbw appeal against
Kusal Mendis from a delivery that spun sharply from outside off and caught him playing back. It came just a few moments after Lyon had an almost identical appeal turned down in the opening over when Michael Gough declined the shout. Australia reviewed and it was umpire’s call on height by the narrowest of margins.
Lyon’s reward came from a more attacking line than he had operated with for most of the second day, but Chandimal responded in attacking fashion himself when he advanced and dispatched consecutive deliveries for four and six.
There were some moments of fortune. Mathews gloved a short ball from Pat Cummins over the keeper and in the next over Chandimal was beaten by a big-turning offbreak from Lyon that spun between bat and pad – it was an almost impossible stumping chance for Alex Carey.
Australia used up their last two reviews in quick succession shortly before the 80-over mark: first, they went up for an lbw against Mathews but there was a thin bottom edge, and then for a catch at silly point against Chandimal but there was only pad. It would prove costly.