Usman Khawaja at last discovered frame again to stroke a fine century Sunday and steer Australia into a huge lead over Sri Lanka as the travelers fight to remain in the second Test at Canberra.
At stumps, the guests were 17 without misfortune, pursuing a gigantic 516 to win with two days staying after Tim Paine pronounced Australia’s second innings at 196 for three.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne were both unbeaten on eight, enduring nearly 30 minutes before terrible light ceased play somewhat early.
Sri Lanka had continued the third day at 123 for three and in a threatening morning session lost four wickets and Kusal Perera, who resigned in the wake of being hit on the head by a bouncer.
Their resistence collapsed in the second over after lunch, with Mitchell Starc taking five wickets to abandon them trailing by 319 after Australia’s first innings 534 for five announced.
Paine selected against the pursue on in Australia’s last Test batting opportunity before the Ashes visit to England not long from now.
Khawaja cushioned up knowing his place in that squad was in uncertainty in the wake of dealing with a high-score of only 72 crosswise over six Tests in a dreary summer.
He reacted in unequivocal mold, crushing his eighth Test ton off 134 balls.
“Clearly getting a hundred and setting up another amusement that we can ideally win, that is a definitive inclination for the group and for myself,” said Khawaja, who let it be known had been an extreme couple of months on and off the field.
His sibling was accused in December of attempting to impact an observer over a situation where he purportedly confined an affection match with a phony fear plot.
“It made it harder to attempt and focus and go out and execute my aptitudes,” he stated, including that it had been “extremely saddling rationally”.
It was Australia’s fourth century of the match after Joe Burns, Travis Head and Kurtis Patterson achieved the achievement in the primary innings.
Paine announced with Khawaja on 101 and Head not out 59, following his first innings 161.
In any case, it was a long way from plain cruising. Marcus Harris again flopped, out for 14 with Kusal Mendis taking an eminent plunging get at slip off Kasun Rajitha, tossing his Ashes put into inquiry.
Mendis held another catch to reject Burns for nine, this time off Vishwa Fernando, and Rajitha struck again to evacuate Marnus Labuschagne for four.
In an occurrence pressed morning, Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins opened with a large number of bouncers.
Both Perera, who continued on 11, and Dhananjaya de Silva, on one medium-term, took hits to the head in the opening two overs.
Perera was then hit flush on the cap dodging into a Richardson ball on 27.
The neck defender took off and a physio raced to his guide. He proceeded and added two additional runs just to call the physio again four balls later.
By and by he picked to bat on however was inclination the impacts and was offed the field before long.
– Karunaratne returns –
Incidentally, the fearless Karunaratne supplanted him subsequent to being announced fit again in the wake of being felled by a severe bouncer on Saturday from Cummins.
He had laid inclined on the ground for somewhere around 10 minutes before being stretchered off in a neck support, yet after a medical clinic check was cleared of blackout and given the OK to continue his innings.
The opener returned on 46 and raised his 22nd Test 50 preceding being gotten at Patterson off Starc subsequent to including nine more.
He was out only three balls after de Silva unusually hit his own wicket while endeavoring a draw shot off Starc. As his bat swung around it took one of the safeguards off and he was away for 25.
The tail was immediately finished with Starc doing the harm, finishing with 5-54 to quietness his commentators after a lean spell.
“Unquestionably was an extraordinary begin we had and we figured we could get a truly sensible score in the principal innings.” Sri Lankan bowling mentor Rumesh Ratnayake said.
“Be that as it may, things happened that didn’t encourage us and we are truly baffled with what they got.”