Australia loses both openers vs Sri Lanka

Galle, Sri Lanka: Australia lost both openers before lunch on day one of the second test against Sri Lanka on Friday and the visitors were 99 for two at the end of the first session.

Seamer Kasun Rajitha provided the early breakthrough for Sri Lanka when he dismissed David Warner for 5. Then, Ramesh Mendis broke a 55-run stand between the Queensland state pair of Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne when Khawaja went on the back foot to defend but was beaten when the ball hit the top of his off-stump.

At lunch, Labuschagne was on 42 and Steve Smith on 13 after Australia won the toss.

Off-spinner Mendis, who shared the new ball with Sri Lanka's lone seamer Rajitha, bowled unchanged for the entire morning session and had great control testing the Australian batsmen. He should have had a second wicket when Labuschagne charged him but wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella missed the stumping chance.

Sri Lanka was forced to make four changes to the side that lost the opening match by 10 wickets after the hosts were hit by a COVID-19 outbreak. The team sent Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando and Praveen Jayawickrama into isolation after they tested positive.