Steve Smith has achieved another significant milestone during Australia’s Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle, becoming the player with the most Test catches for Australia by taking his 197th catch, surpassing Ricky Ponting’s record. This moment came late on day one as he caught Prabath Jayasuriya off Mitchell Starc’s bowling. The day was dominated by Australia, with Sri Lanka ending on 9-228 after electing to bat first.
Initially, Sri Lanka had a solid start, reaching 1-87 at lunch. However, following the break, their innings crumbled as they quickly lost wickets, with Nathan Lyon, Travis Head, and Starc playing key roles in the collapse. New captain Steve Smith’s decisions were instrumental in the turnaround, as highlighted by commentators.
Despite a resilient performance from Dinesh Chandimal, who scored 74, Sri Lanka struggled to maintain momentum. Starc claimed two wickets in quick succession just before the close, including that of Jayasuriya. Kuhnemann wrapped up the innings by bowling out Nishan Peiris for a duck, leaving Australia in a strong position at the end of the day.