On social media, analysts and former cricketers praised Sri Lanka’s innings as a remarkable victory. The Sri Lankan cricket team was hailed by former captain Kumar Sangakkara for their convincing victory against Australia.
In support of Dinesh Chandimal’s first double century, left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya had the fourth-best statistics by a debutant in Test match cricket history on Monday as Sri Lanka defeated Australia by an innings and 39 runs. Australia lost the game with one day remaining after losing nine wickets in a dramatic final session. Sri Lanka’s victory against Australia was their first since their first encounter in 1983. Sri Lanka’s victory against Australia was their first since their first encounter in 1983.
Before Ramesh Mendis dismissed David Warner, Australia’s openers had done well to contribute 49 runs for the first wicket after giving up a first-innings advantage of 190 (24). Then, Jayasuriya completed the middle order. After numerous cases of COVID-19 were discovered in the Sri Lankan camp, Jayasuriya was brought in as a late substitute. He bowled with unerring control, placing his pitches at the ideal lengths to impede the Australian batters. Sri Lanka, which lost the first Test by a score of 10 wickets and subsequently lost four players to COVID-19, made an incredible comeback. They used three debutants: Kamindu Mendis scored 50, Mahesh Theekshana took three wickets, and Jayasuriya took 12 for 177 runs, earning him the title of player of the match.
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Chandimal brilliance
With a brilliant counterattack and a career-high score, Sri Lanka’s former captain, Chandimal, gave his team a chance to win. When he started the day on 118 and concluded the day unbroken on 206, he became the first Sri Lankan to get a double hundred against Australia. He faced 326 pitches while batting for more than nine hours, hitting 16 fours and five sixes. Chandimal was 159 not out when Sri Lanka’s ninth wicket fell, and it didn’t appear that he would reach a double hundred, but he then caught the opposition off guard by striking the ball cleanly and sending it out of the ground three times.
The right-hander completed his double century by hitting two consecutive sixes off Mitchell Starc, earning player of the match honors. The 554 total declared by Sri Lanka versus Australia is higher than the 541 to eight declared in Colombo in 1992. Chandimal was a part of multiple alliances that helped Sri Lanka win the match. Even though the hosts only had a 67-run lead when the day started, the lower order made sure that the side only batted once on a track that was very helpful to spin bowlers.
While Chandimal and Ramesh Mendis’ partnership for the seventh wicket generated 68 runs, Chandimal and Kasun Rajitha’s last wicket partnership resulted in 49 runs, with the last man contributing nothing and being out without scoring. During that partnership, Chandimal scored 48 runs off just 18 balls, and Australia had no chance of winning it.
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Debutant Jayasuriya
When Mitchell Swepson captured Kasun Rajitha, Australia’s suffering would finally come to an end, although the hosts had increased their lead to 190. In both the first and second innings, the visitors battled against debutant Prabath Jayasuriya’s spin. He had help from the other spinners, as Ramesh Mendis and Theekshana each contributed two wickets. But Jayasuriya, who recorded a score of 6/59, took home the victory. Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, and Mitchell Swepson were among his victims, and the Australians appeared confused in the face of his sleight-of-hand. It was a lackluster batting performance by Australia that will once more cast doubt on their capacity to handle turning balls. Only Marnus Labuschagne was able to do it.
Prabath Jayasuriya, a spinner for Sri Lanka, made a spectacular Test debut against Australia. He took 12 wickets to assist his team win by a record-breaking inning and 39 runs. The 30-year-old spinner now has the fourth-best stats on a Test debut with the miraculous figures of 12/177. Narendra Hirwani of India, with a score of 16/136 against the West Indies in 1988, is at the top of the list, followed by Bob Massie of Australia (16/137 against England in 1972), and Fred Martin of England (12/102 against Australia in 1890).
On social media, analysts and former cricketers praised Sri Lanka’s remarkable victory. The Sri Lankan cricket team was hailed by former captain Kumar Sangakkara for their convincing victory against Australia.