Rain, Chandimal stands in way of rampaging Australia
More forecast rain in Galle is all that stands between crumbling Sri Lanka and an embarrassing early defeat in the opening Test against Australia.
Sri Lanka looked on track to be bowled out twice on a rain-spoiled third day, but the rampaging tourists are now poised to land their knockout blow across the weekend.
Less than a session was played on the third day, but Australia have the hosts 5-136 and still 518 runs behind their first-innings score.
The rain delay, which paused the game half-an-hour before lunch, is the third in as any days as thunderstorms circle the city.
Significant rain is also scheduled for Saturday, with clearer skies tipped for Sunday if the game ekes into a fifth and final day.
Australia’s chances of batting just once in this match were bolstered by the weather, with an extended rest likely to give stand-in captain Steve Smith the confidence his spin-heavy bowling attack will be good to back up their efforts.
A declaration deep into the final session on Thursday evening left Sri Lanka’s middle-order exposed by the time they reached the third day.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc then took Australia’s first wicket of the day when Kamindu Mendis went chasing a ball down the leg-side and guided it through to Alex Carey behind the stumps.
It was a frustrating dismissal from the promising Mendis on a wicket lauded by batters already this week.
Matthew Kuhnemann — who had thumb surgery just two weeks before his first Test in two years — took the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva.
The Sri Lankan captain came storming out of his crease to a ball Kuhnemann then tossed out wide and the stumps were whisked off by Carey.
It left former skipper and No.3 Dinesh Chandimal unbeaten on 63 but running out of batting reinforcements, while Kusal Mendis is on 10 off 25 balls.
Starc was far more effective than Sri Lankan pace counterpart Asitha Fernando because he bowled more than 10-kilometres faster.
He had 2-13 from eight overs when players went off for rain.
Ground staff played an on-again-off-again game with the giant blue covers that shield the outfield through the afternoon, but few genuine attempts to resume play were made.
They came closest just before tea, when umpires pencilled in play to return around the scheduled tea break.
Hopes of playing a final session were quashed just minutes later with staff worried about another evening pour.
Australia confirmed leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha would join the Test squad in Galle as their second development player after Ollie Peake, but is not expected to be considered for selection.
If Australia coast to a resounding victory as expected in coming days, they could mix up their side for the second Test and a big win could be West Australian young gun Cooper Connolly’s best hope of a Test debut.
It is unlikely selectors will tweak with their batting line-up after their most successful outing in more than seven years, especially given back-up top-order option Sam Konstas has been felled by a stomach bug.
They appear keen on Travis Head opening the batting in the sub-continent — with their next trip there the blockbuster reunion with India in 2027 — and Usman Khawaja locked himself into the side with his maiden double-century.