Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc strike early to restrict Sri Lanka to 68-2 at lunch on Day 1 of the First Test in Galle as they look to build on series victory in Pakistan
- Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc struck early to make a strong start for Australia
- The tourists are taking on Sri Lanka in the first of a two-Test series in Galle
- Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis were dismissed for relatively small figures
- Both sides paid tribute to Shane Warne before play commenced on Wednesday
Australia skipper Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Mitchell Starc helped restrict Sri Lanka to 68 for two at lunch on day one of the opening test in Galle on Wednesday.
Spinners Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson were able to generate significant turn and Sri Lanka’s spin-heavy attack will be licking their lips at the thought of the pitch deteriorating further as the match goes on.
Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is on 25 and veteran Angelo Mathews on 15 after Sri Lanka opted to bat first.
Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc struck early to get Australia off to a strong start in Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka (23) and Karunaratne added 38 runs for the opening stand, with both looking largely unperturbed against the Australian attack.
Off-spinner Lyon was introduced within the first 30 minutes and his first delivery turned sharply, offering a glimpse into what the batsmen could expect in the next four days.
Cummins broke the stand after changing ends after inducing an edge from Nissanka.
Kusal Mendis nicked a Starc delivery behind and it was gloved by keeper Alex Carey
Starc celebrates playfully with Travis Head after picking up a wicket on Day One in Galle
Alex Carey took his second catch behind the stumps when Kusal Mendis nicked Starc trying to hit through extra cover.
The closest Lyon came to success was when Karunaratne pushed at a delivery straight into the body of Marnus Labuschagne at silly point but he could not take the sharp chance.
Starc (finger) and Travis Head (hamstring) were passed fit to play the first match of the two-test series.
Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay made his test debut for Sri Lanka, who opted for three specialist spinners along with the part-time off-spin of Dhananjaya de Silva.
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