Tag: Double

Looks like there’s no declaration just yet from Steve Smith.

Jeffrey Vandersay to start things off. Alex Carey on strike.

Hi Doc,

That certainly appears to be the plan at this stage.

Of course, whether Australia is able to enforce the follow-on is entirely contingent on Sri Lanka’s first-innings batting performance.

Hi Mick,

Hope you’re keeping warm down there.

I reckon jumping into the Antarctic Ocean would definitely be more of a thrill than watching this.

Hi Chloe,

This innings is Australia’s first 600+ score since January 4, 2018, when they scored 7-649 declared against England at the SCG.

Australia’s highest ever Test score is 8-758 declared, which was scored against the West Indies in 1955.

Well, look, I mean, Sri Lanka got Usman Khawaja and Josh Inglis out. So, probably the best session for the hosts since the first on day one.

Australia is just grinding the fielders and bowlers down. This has all the hallmarks of a ‘bat once’ victory, but the prospect of bowling back-to-back in this heat isn’t ideal.

Still, it might be the only chance we have of seeing a result in the game. And it might be a little easier with mostly spinners in the line-up.

But, before we get to that, we have to see the approach from the batters after tea. I’m expecting, and hoping for, an aggressive approach from Carey and Webster after a watchful start.

Australia is 5-599 as Prabath Jayasuriya starts his 60th over.

And there’s 600 for the Aussies as Alex Carey gets another single with another reverse sweep.

It’s the first time since 2018 that Australia has reached this mark.

And he sprays one down leg. Oshada Fernando sprints to the rope from short leg and the ball dies just before reaching the boundary.

Fernando actually stepped on the boundary before picking it up, but got his foot back in the field of play before touching the ball.

Too much width and Beau Webster slashes away for a couple more wide of cover.

Alex Carey reverse sweeps and gets back for a sharp two.

Webster tries a lap sweep and it’s very awkward. Almost LBW.

Sri Lanka doesn’t even have the energy for a pointless appeal anymore.

Another nudge to long-off for a single from Carey. And Webster skips down and clips Nishan to mid-wicket for one more.

This doesn’t feel like declaration batting. But there are 13 minutes to tea. We might see more aggression after the break.

Beau Webster is just looking to nudge the ball.

A little extra bounce almost does for Webster, but he’s playing with soft hands and the ball just trickles away.

The big long levers get Beau Webster a single to the man in the deep with a sweep shot.

Webster gets some width and pushes into the deep for two more.

Nothing overly probing from Nishan in his 38th offering.

Carey tries to force the issue with a little shuffle down the wicket, but he can only get a thick edge away behind point.

Carey gets off strike with a single off a reverse sweep.

It’s another tight, if uninspiring over.

The big Slug pushes at a wide one and misses everything. A lot of drift away for Nishan, still hunting his first wicket of this innings.

Webster eventually manages to lay bat on it to take a single to point.

This game will, I assume, accelerate after tea. But things are meandering a little now.

Alex Carey is getting them all with sweeps and reverse sweeps.

Webster clatters a drive into Oshada Fernando. It’s whacked him in the arms.

After a lengthy delay, Jayasuriya wraps up with another ball outside off.

Nishan thinks he has found Carey’s outside edge, but no-one behind the stumps is there with him.

Carey punches down the ground for one more. Still a very spread field despite having two new batters at the crease. In saying that, the score is up over 570.

The debutant closed the face of the bat on one, and the next ball he shuffles, closes the face again as he tries to work to the leg side and chips a catch straight to Kamindu Mendia at short cover.

Another fine innings ends apparently with just a little dip in concentration.

Credit to Prabath Jayasuriya for continuing to toil at the end of his 55th over.

This pair is happily knocking singles around.

Carey’s almost top-edged a reverse sleep to leg slip.

There doesn’t seem to be any direction to put the pedal down. Maybe there will be after tea.

The 29-year-old carves through the covers for a few more and leaps in the air to celebrate this momentous feat.

There’s tears in the stands for mum and dad as Inglis becomes the first Australian man since Adam Voges in 2015 to score a century on Test debut, and just the third in history to do it in Asia.

Not only that, but Inglis has has done it at better than a run a ball, reaching three figures off just 91 deliveries.