Travis Head took 4/10 in the second innings against Sri Lanka
Playing against Sri Lanka in Galle, Head picked up 4 quick wickets in the second innings, completely turning the game in Australia’s favour. His spell helped bowl Sri Lanka out cheaply, leaving a small target for the visitors. Australia chased it down with ease, winning by 10 wickets, and it was a smart move by captain Pat Cummins to bring Head into the attack, which paid off brilliantly. Let’s see how the complete match unfolded.
Heading to the Sri Lanka tour, Australia absolutely cleaned up in the first Test at Galle from June 29 to July 1, 2022, smashing Sri Lanka by 10 wickets. Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first but could only muster 212, with Niroshan Dickwella’s 58 their best effort. Australia piled on 321 in response, thanks to Cameron Green’s cracking 77 and Usman Khawaja’s steady 71, taking a 109-run lead and Sri Lanka’s second innings was a disaster, collapsing to 113, and Australia knocked off the 5 runs needed in a flash. Nathan Lyon’s nine wickets across the match and Green’s big knock earned him Player of the Match. Australia pocketed 12 World Test Championship points, going 1-0 up in the series.
Sri Lanka got to bat first after winning the toss, but things went pear-shaped pretty quickly, folding for 212 all out in 59 overs at 3.59 runs an over. They started alright, but Australia’s bowlers, especially Nathan Lyon, kept nicking wickets to stop any big partnerships and Pathum Nissanka and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne put on 38 for the first wicket in 12.1 overs. Nissanka made 23 off 44 balls, cracking three fours, before Pat Cummins got him caught behind by Alex Carey. Kusal Mendis was next, but he didn’t do much, scratching out 3 off 15 balls before Mitchell Starc had him caught by Carey in the 16.1st over, leaving Sri Lanka 42 for 2.
Karunaratne dug in for 28 off 84 balls, hitting three fours, but Lyon nabbed him in the 29.2nd over, caught by David Warner, with the score at 74 for 3. Angelo Mathews tried to hold the fort, grinding out 39 off 71 balls with three fours, but the middle order fell apart like a house of cards. Dhananjaya de Silva made 14 off 22 balls, smacking two fours, before Mitchell Swepson got him caught by Carey in the 36.1st over. Dinesh Chandimal didn’t even get off the mark, out for a duck off one ball, caught by Warner off Swepson in the 36.2nd over, making it 97 for 5. Mathews went in the 43.1st over, caught by Warner off Lyon, with Sri Lanka at 139 for 6.
Niroshan Dickwella, the keeper, played a ripper, smashing 58 off 59 balls with six fours, going at a strike rate of 98.30. He put on 54 runs for the seventh wicket with Ramesh Mendis, who chipped in 22 off 36 balls with three fours. Mendis got trapped lbw by Lyon in the 53.5th over, leaving them 193 for 7. The tail didn’t have much to say. Jeffrey Vandersay made 6 off 15 balls with one four, caught by Starc off Swepson in the 58.6th over. Lasith Embuldeniya whacked 6 off 6 balls, including a six, but Lyon got him caught by Usman Khawaja in the 57.5th over.
Asitha Fernando stayed not out on 2 off 1 ball. Sri Lanka’s total had 11 extras, 5 byes and 6 leg byes. Nathan Lyon was the man, taking 5 for 90 in 25 overs, while Swepson grabbed 3 for 55 in 13 overs. Cummins took 1 for 25 in 12 overs, and Starc had 1 for 31 in 9 overs. Sri Lanka’s innings had 16 fours and one six. They hit 50 runs in 14.2 overs, 100 in 36.3 overs, and 200 in 56.5 overs, but losing wickets regularly kept their score low.
Australia came out firing, racking up 321 all out in 70.5 overs at 4.53 runs an over, building a 109-run lead. Usman Khawaja led with a solid 71 off 130 balls, stroking seven fours, before Jeffrey Vandersay got him caught by Pathum Nissanka in the 38.6th over. David Warner smashed a quick 25 off 24 balls with five fours but got pinned lbw by Ramesh Mendis in the 9.1st over, making it 47 for 1. Marnus Labuschagne made 13 off 19 balls with two fours, caught by Asitha Fernando off Mendis in the 15.2nd over. Steven Smith scratched out 6 off 11 balls, run out in the 19.1st over, leaving Australia 83 for 3.
Travis Head made 6 off 16 balls, caught and bowled by Dhananjaya de Silva in the 26.1st over, bringing the score to 100 for 4. Cameron Green was the rock, smashing 77 off 109 balls with six fours, before Ramesh Mendis trapped him lbw in the 63.5th over. Alex Carey chipped in with 45 off 47 balls, hitting six fours, before Mendis had him caught by Dinesh Chandimal in the 54.3rd over. Their 84-run stand for the sixth wicket took Australia to 241. Mitchell Starc made 10 off 30 balls with one four, caught and bowled by Vandersay in the 64.2nd over.
Skipper Pat Cummins blasted 26 off 18 balls, with one four and three sixes, before Asitha Fernando bowled him in the 70.2nd over. Nathan Lyon stayed not out on 15 off 20 balls with two fours, and Mitchell Swepson made 1 off 2 balls, bowled by Fernando. Australia’s innings had 26 extras, 20 byes, 3 leg byes, 1 no-ball, and 2 wides. Ramesh Mendis took 4 for 112 in 32 overs, Vandersay got 2 for 68 in 10 overs, Fernando nabbed 2 for 37 in 8.5 overs, and de Silva took 1 for 8 in 5 overs. Australia hit 50 in 10.1 overs, 100 in 26.1 overs, 200 in 47.3 overs, and 300 in 67.5 overs, with 30 fours and three sixes.
Sri Lanka’s second innings was a complete meltdown, crashing to 113 all out in 22.5 overs at 4.94 runs an over. Dimuth Karunaratne made 23 off 20 balls with five fours, caught by Carey off Lyon in the 5.3rd over. Pathum Nissanka scored 14 off 19 balls with one four, lbw to Swepson in the 6.5th over. Kusal Mendis made 8 off 15 balls with one four, caught by Swepson off Lyon in the 11.1st over. Oshada Fernando, in for Angelo Mathews, scored 12 off 18 balls with one four and one six, caught by Steven Smith off Swepson in the 12.2nd over.
Dhananjaya de Silva made 11 off 20 balls, lbw to Travis Head in the 18.5th over. Dinesh Chandimal scored 13 off 21 balls with one four, bowled by Head in the 18.2nd over. Niroshan Dickwella made 3 off 7 balls, caught by Labuschagne off Lyon in the 21.2nd over. Ramesh Mendis got a duck off 2 balls, caught by Khawaja off Lyon in the 19.4th over. Jeffrey Vandersay scored 8 off 8 balls with one four, bowled by Head in the 22.1st over. Lasith Embuldeniya made 0 off 6 balls, lbw to Head in the 22.5th over.
Asitha Fernando was not out on 5 off 2 balls with one four and Sri Lanka had 16 extras, 10 byes, 5 leg byes, 1 no-ball. Travis Head tore through with 4 for 10 in 2.5 overs, Lyon took 4 for 31 in 11 overs, and Swepson got 2 for 34 in 7 overs. Sri Lanka reached 50 in 9.1 overs and 100 in 19.6 overs, with 11 fours and one six. Australia chased 5 runs in 0.4 overs, with David Warner smashing 10 not out off 4 balls (one four, one six) and Usman Khawaja 0 not out off 0 balls.