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Steve Smith Photograph: (X)
Australia have maintained their strong stranglehold over Sri Lanka during the second and final Test match in Galle. Skipper Steve Smith who has already scored two centuries during the current series came up with a special catch to get rid of his opposite number Dhananjaya De Silva on Saturday.
The incident happened in the fifth ball of the 40th over with Matthew Kuhnemann bowling round the wicket. The ball pitched on the off-stump line and took the edge of De Silva’s bat and went low to Smith who was standing in the first slips. Australian skipper went down low and took a neat one-handed catch.
Watch the video here:
OUTSTANDING from Steve Smith 😮
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 8, 2025
What. A. Catch. #SLvAUSpic.twitter.com/mVIJLZWbGI
Dhananjaya De Silva was stunned with the reflexes shown as he had to make his way back to the hut for 23 runs. De Silva scored his runs off 46 balls with the help of four hits to the fence. This was also Kuhnemann’s third wicket of the innings after dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka.
Angelo Mathews gives Sri Lanka slender lead with fighting half-century
Former Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews played a gritty knock to score yet another Test fifty. The 37-year-old took his team past the 157 run-lead secured by Australia to ensure the visitors bat again in the final innings. After the fall of Dhananjaya De Silva, it was Kusal Mendis who joined Mathews as the pair went past the 50-run stand.
Earlier in the innings, Matthew Kuhnemann dismissed both the Sri Lankan openers. The first man to be dismissed was Nissanka for eight runs as he was bowled in the second over. Former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne was the next man out for 14 caught behind by Alex Carey in what was his final Test innings.
Nathan Lyon got the key wicket of Dinesh Chandimal caught by Beau Webster for 12 runs. Kamindu Mendis played 35 balls for his knock off 14 before he was also dismissed by Lyon. With wickets falling in a heap, Mathews and Kusal Mendis joined forces to keep the Australian bowlers at bay as they showed stoic batting to give the hosts slender lead on day three of the game.