Australia’s middle order in red-ball was stacked and for the same reason, Josh Inglis had to wait to break into the playing XI in Tests. However, the team management always appreciated the keeper-batter’s ability to play well in spin-friendly conditions and for the same reason, he was picked for the Sri Lanka tour and was eventually handed his debut in the first Test at Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Inglis capitalised on the opportunity and created history by smacking the second-fastest century on Test debut. The 29-year-old completed his ton in just 90 deliveries and surpassed former West Indies international Dwayne Smith to name the record. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan still owns the record of hitting the fastest hundred in Test cricket on debut. The southpaw smashed a ton in just 85 balls against Australia in Mohali in 2013.
Australia in commending position after solid batting display
Australia struggled against Sri Lankan spinners in their last two tours. In 2016, they suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat while in 2022, the two-match series finished 1-1. This time around, the Steve Smith-led side was prepared for the spin challenge as the batters produced a solid display in the first innings. Opener Usman Khawaja made 232 runs while Smith scored 141 and Inglis added 102. Travis Head, who opened the batting this time, made 57 off only 40 balls.
Courtesy of a terrific batting performance, Australia posted 654/6 in the first innings. The Lankan bowlers looked clueless at one point as none of their plans worked in the middle. The visitors looked comfortable and will now hope to wrap up the hosts early and force a follow-on.
The massive score on board will meanwhile test Sri Lanka’s resilience. They did well in red-ball cricket in 2024 but it needs to be seen if the team can manage to put up against big scores.