Galle: A banner hung from the ramparts of the old Dutch fort proclaiming “South Africa you’re next!“, and in the final half hour of day three Australia finally struck the pivotal blows to put them within sight of a 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka.
The hosts’ middle order put up serious resistance in the evening session, building a pesky lead with the possibility of more on the fourth morning, before the tireless Nathan Lyon (3-80, including his 550th in Tests) captured Angelo Mathews (76) on the sweep.
Nathan Lyon of Australia appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of Kusal MendisCredit: Getty Images
Mathews fell to one of three excellent catches taken by Beau Webster in this match, and perhaps it was this athletic snaffle at deep backward square leg that caused Steve Smith to give him the ball for some off-spin.
Webster got enough pop to have Ramesh Mendis pouched at short leg, before the excellent Matt Kuhnemann (4-52) defeated his opposite number Prabath Jayasuriya with a classic delivery in the day’s last over, to leave Australia with two more wickets to get. Kusal Mendis (48 not out), playing with freedom and class, is his side’s last hope of a substantial fourth innings chase – their lead is just 54.
Kuhnemann had been the most consistent of Australia’s spinners, claiming three top order wickets, as Cooper Connolly was again used sparingly. Australia last beat Sri Lanka in a Test series on these shores in 2011.
Steve Smith hits out in Galle.Credit: AP
Smith’s magnificent stand of 259 with Alex Carey was put into priceless perspective as 15 wickets tumbled for the day, including Australia’s loss of 7-64 before lunch.
Some ballast was provided by Webster, who used every centimetre of his reach to smother the turning ball, but also had a share of good fortune, being dropped by wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis on 25.
With some help from Mitchell Starc, Webster enabled the Australians to scramble to 414, bowled out right on the lunch break. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya weaved his way to figures of 5-151.
Smith and Carey had resumed with dreams of another big batting day, but the immediate availability of the second new ball made life trickier for both.
As Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja had discovered, the harder seam and shinier leather offered a challenging combination of balls that bit and turned while others skidded through flat and fast.
Smith was beaten a couple of times by Jayasuriya’s deliveries that deviated sharply, and he was quick to walk when another did so while brushing the outside edge. Inglis came to the crease with spring in his step, but marched off two balls later when he played fatally back to a delivery that zipped through to bowl him off his pads.
Webster, who dined happily with his family at Unawatuna beach on the second evening, maintained a record of useful contributions in his three Tests so far, while successfully overturning a Joel Wilson lbw decision when Jayasuriya drifted one into his front pad.
Carey’s brilliance took him to the highest score in South Asia by an Australian wicketkeeper, besting Adam Gilchrist’s pair of innings worth 144 against Sri Lanka (in 2004) and Bangladesh (in 2006). But the skid of the newish ball finally beat him on a sweep shot, zooming through to hit the off stump as Carey heard a deflating clunk.
Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis plays a shot during day threeCredit: AP
He had earlier spoken about the fact that he believes there can be a place for both Carey and Inglis in the Australian Test side.
Connolly’s first Test innings was of the frantic variety. His first ball fizzed past the outside edge and his second brought an unsuccessful paddle sweep. He got just enough of a slog sweep to evade deep backward square leg and get off the mark in Tests, but next he charged Nishan Peiris without much reference to the ball’s length and skewed a catch.
Starc and Webster cobbled together another 22 runs between them, and last man Matt Kuhnemann salted away a few more. A first innings lead of 150-plus was enough for the tourists to put on plenty of pressure.
Pathum Nissanka succumbed to his second ball from Kuhnemann in an action replay of Inglis’ exit. Karunaratne then snicked behind and departed poignantly with a handshake from Smith, a pat on the back from Lyon and a hug from Dinesh Chandimal before he raised his bat to the crowd.
Sri Lanka’s best player throughout the series, Chandimal, has fought a tantalising battle with Lyon.
He has driven sweetly and often, but this time Lyon caused just enough miscalculation in length to coax a shot that was catchable for Webster. It was Lyon’s 550th in Tests, and a quick finish beckoned.
Kamindu eluded a couple of big lbw appeals, but with tea in sight he flashed a drive at Lyon and shelled a catch to Khawaja. The end beckoned, but Mathews and Kusal cared not for the sign on the fort.
Their stand of 70 came at a quick tempo, and was assuming dangerous proportions when Lyon tempted Mathews into a sweep and Webster pounced, first in the field and then with the ball. In his brief Test career so far, he has seldom wasted a chance to contribute to the cause.
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