Australia have completed a 19-year first with a series whitewash over Sri Lanka on their own soil – and while far from as emphatic as the innings victory in the first Test, their nine-wicket win in the second was arguably just as impressive.
Dealing with the worst of the conditions after Sri Lanka won the toss, the tourists again bowled immaculately in both innings, with spin twins Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann the highlight, while with the bat, Steve Smith (again) and Alex Carey almost single-handedly ground the hosts out of the match with a dominant partnership.
It wasn’t as complete a team performance as in the first Test – another Marnus Labuschagne fail has only amplified pressure on his spot, while Cooper Connolly was little more than a glorified 12th man in a forgettable debut – but the two comfortable wins over a dangerous opponent continues Australia’s recent mastery of Asian conditions that were once their kryptonite, having won five matches and lost just three on the subcontinent since the start of 2022.
Here are The Roar’s player ratings for the second Test of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Australia
Usman Khawaja – 7
Perhaps the most striking part of Khawaja’s outstanding Sri Lankan tour has been his fluency – after struggling for the better part of two years to score at anything more than a sluggish pace, a strike rate of 65 for the series is a significant uptick.
Had to watch Smith and Carey pile on the runs after missing a reckless pull shot in the first innings, which would have to have rankled after his epic double-ton in the first innings; before calmly ticking off the runs in the second innings for a comfortable victory.
His spot is assured now, most likely until at least the end of next summer’s Ashes; the jury, though, is still out on who his opening partner will be for the World Test Championship final and beyond.
SERIES RATING: 9.5
Travis Head – 5
Did his job to bludgeon the new ball in both innings with a pair of quick-fire 20s, though he’d be filthy at not being able to cash in on a start either time.
Still, he’s done more than enough in Sri Lanka to establish himself as Australia’s long term Test opener in Asia – and with another golden arm wicket on the first day, his off-spin will be more than handy as a partnership-breaker moving forward too.
SERIES RATING: 7
Marnus Labuschagne – 3
With fewer runs than any other member of Australia’s top seven – and by a considerable margin – it’s fair to say another low score from Labuschagne in the second innings might have made his spot in the team untenable.
26 not out to see the team home won’t get the wolf from the door, and featured the odd nervous moment, but without any scoreboard pressure it’s impossible to make any judgements on some improved fluency.
His dismissal on Day 2, playing back to a ball that skidded on, pretty much summed up his mediocre form going back two years – and surrounded by teammates who have defied the critics and plundered runs of late, his seat is now far and away the hottest in Australian cricket.
SERIES RATING: 3
Steve Smith (c) – 9
Smith finishes his first tour as captain in seven years with a slew of shattered records in his wake: the most centuries by an Australian in Sri Lanka and Asia as a whole, the first Test cricketer to have 200+ partnerships with 11 different teammates, and the first Aussie to reach 200 catches as a fielder in Tests.
Even more masterful in the second Test as he was in the first, Smith’s 131 was virtually chanceless, featured both crisp scoring and endless patience, and on a difficult surface made Sri Lanka’s spinners look toothless, especially when he unfurled a new pet shot – the reverse sweep.
Managed his bowlers superbly as well to regularly have the host batters caught by surprise, especially late on Day 3 when he first introduced Beau Webster’s off-breaks with immediate success, then to Matt Kuhnemann for the last over of the day to also bring about an instant wicket.
And if that wasn’t enough, he also took a screamer at slip to earn Kuhnemann another wicket.
Smith making bulk runs in an Ashes year. Be afraid, England…
SERIES RATING: 9.5
Alex Carey (wk) – 9.5
Stunning with his strokeplay and immaculate behind the stumps, Carey was so good in the second Test as to reach heights only previously attained by Australian glovemen by the great Adam Gilchrist.
Using his feet superbly and sweeping and reverse-sweeping with precision, Carey was the fire to Smith’s ice in a 259-run stand that took Sri Lanka all but out of the game.
His 156 is the highest by any Australian keeper in Asia, and the long innings did nothing to diminish his glovework, an excellent Day 1 stumping to remove Dinesh Chandimal the highlight and the sole lowlight a miss off Kuhnemann that hit the helmet behind him for five penalty runs.
SERIES RATING: 9.5
Josh Inglis – 1
From chocolates to boiled lollies for the Western Australian after his first Test century – though he was pretty stiff to have to sit and watch Smith and Carey bat for 60 overs and then cop sharp spin from Prabath Jayasuriya second up.
Struggled with a back injury to start the Test.
SERIES RATING: 7.5
Beau Webster – 6
After not bowling in the first Test, Webster’s delight at winkling out a wicket with his canny off-spin late on Day 3 summed up his newfound cult hero status – and showed off another handy skill that he brings to the table.
Hasn’t been as freewheeling with the bat as he was on Test debut against India in Sydney, with his grafting 31 on Day 3 along with the tail seeing him regularly bogged down against spin, which is a challenge he’ll need to overcome to get more Test opportunities in the future.
With Cameron Green unlikely to be able to bowl by June, it would take a seriously brave call to remove the Tasmanian from the team for the World Test Championship final.
SERIES RATING: 5.5
Cooper Connolly – 1
It didn’t cost Australia – but you had to wonder what exactly was the point of picking the emerging talent if he was going to be given as scant opportunities to show his wares.
Bowled just five unthreatening overs across Sri Lanka’s two innings – putting paid to Smith’s pre-match claim of being impressed by his work in the nets – and it was telling that at key times both Head and Webster’s spin was preferred to the young prodigy.
Won’t have won any fans with his batting, either, lasting just six nervous balls before falling to an ugly heave.
Mitchell Starc – 7
Finally given an extended bowl on Day 1 after being used sparingly in the first Test, Starc continued his love affair with Sri Lanka by running through the hosts’ middle-lower order late in the day with swing and raw pace.
Bowled just four overs in the second innings as the wicket became more spin-friendly; but he finishes the series having taken 35 Test wickets in Sri Lanka over three tours, fewer only than Nathan Lyon and Shane Warne among Australians – and at an average of 16.94 significantly better than either of those legends.
Just as deadly as the sole quick as he has been as part of the Starc-Cummins-Hazlewood triumvirate.
SERIES RATING: 7.5
Nathan Lyon – 8.5
The difference between the Lyon tormented by Sri Lanka’s batters back in 2016 and the Lyon of today simply couldn’t be more stark.
Constantly threatening on a pitch offering him enough assistance, the GOAT kept Australia in the game during Sri Lanka’s one period of ascendancy on the opening day, taking the first three wickets including both openers to prevent a fast start that could have been game-changing.
Did the same in the second innings to finish with seven wickets for the Test, all of them in Sri Lanka’s top seven; the only blip being bizarrely denied another five-for when a third umpire check early on Day 4 confirmed an apparent catch by Webster at slip had bounced.
SERIES RATING: 8.5
Matt Kuhnemann – 8
From being all but out of the tour with that finger injury two weeks ago to finishing it as Australia’s premier spinner, with better numbers than even Nathan Lyon, the left-arm tweaker was just as impressive in the second Test as he was in the first.
With immaculate control of line and length and beautiful flight, the Galle surface offered just enough spin for the Queenslander-turned-Tasmanian to be deadly.
Alongside his seven wickets, was fiendishly difficult to get away as he built up pressure on Sri Lanka’s batters, going at just 1.87 an over in the first innings.
The only question now is: will Kuhnemann remain a subcontinent specialist, or has he taken over from Todd Murphy as Lyon’s heir apparent?
SERIES RATING: 9
Tim Millerhttps://https://ift.tt/ldvMozj Aussie rated from second Test vs Sri Lanka: Marnus hanging on despite more misery as Smith, Carey shatter records
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