Australia's Historic Test Series Win in Sri Lanka Under Steve Smith: A 14-Year Wait Ends https://www.cricketwinner.com Australia ended a 14-year wait by winning a Test series in Sri Lanka under Steve Smith's captaincy, showcasing resilience and skill in challenging conditions. Sun, 09 Feb 2025 07:58:26 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html https://github.com/jpmonette/feed en Copyright © 2024 Cricket Winner. All Rights Reserved. <![CDATA[Australia's Historic Test Series Win in Sri Lanka Under Steve Smith: A 14-Year Wait Ends]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/australia-s-historic-test-series-win-in-sri-lanka-under-steve-smith-a-14-year-wait-ends/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/australia-s-historic-test-series-win-in-sri-lanka-under-steve-smith-a-14-year-wait-ends/ Sun, 09 Feb 2025 07:56:58 GMT
 

This is undoubtedly one of those historic wins, one that Australia will never forget in the history. For after a gap of 14 long years, Steve Smith led them to a Test series victory in Sri Lanka, marking the end of the much-talked-about drought, while show of resilience and skill in the squad against the challenges of the subcontinent, where their test was relatively a hard-fought one.

Squad for the Series :

Sri LankaAustralia
Dhananjaya de Silva (c)Steve Smith (c)
Dinesh Chandimal (wk)Travis Head (vc)
Sonal DinushaSean Abbott
Asitha FernandoScott Boland
Oshada FernandoAlex Carey (wk)
Vishwa FernandoCooper Connolly
Prabath JayasuriyaJosh Inglis (wk)
Dimuth KarunaratneUsman Khawaja
Lahiru KumaraSam Konstas
Angelo MathewsMatthew Kuhnemann
Kamindu MendisMarnus Labuschagne
Kusal Mendis (wk)Nathan Lyon
Ramesh MendisNathan McSweeney
Pathum NissankaTodd Murphy
Nishan PeirisMitchell Starc
Milan RathnayakeBeau Webster
Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk) 
Lahiru Udara 
Jeffrey Vandersay 

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Summary of First test and Second test:

Match1st Test (29 January–1 February 2025)2nd Test (6–9 February 2025)
VenueGalle International Stadium, GalleGalle International Stadium, Galle
ResultAustralia won by an innings and 242 runsAustralia won by 9 wickets
Australia’s Total654/6d (154 overs)414 (106.4 overs)
Sri Lanka’s Total165 (52.2 overs)257 (97.4 overs)
Sri Lanka 2nd Innings247 (54.3 overs, f/o)231 (68.1 overs)
Australia's 2nd Innings-75/1 (17.4 overs)
Key Performers (Australia)Usman Khawaja 232, Alex Carey 156, Mitchell Starc (700 wickets)Alex Carey 156, Mitchell Starc 3/37
Key Performers (Sri Lanka)Dinesh Chandimal 72, Jeffrey Vandersay 53Kusal Mendis 85*, Angelo Mathews 76, Prabath Jayasuriya 5/151
Top PartnershipsKhawaja-Smith 266 runs for 3rd wicketCarey-Mendis 120* runs for 4th wicket
Player of the MatchUsman Khawaja (Aus)Alex Carey (Aus)
Notable RecordsKhawaja’s first double century, Smith’s 10,000th Test run, Starc’s 700th wicketSmith’s 197th & 200th catch, Carey’s highest score by an Australian WK
World Test Championship PointsAustralia 12, Sri Lanka 0Australia 12, Sri Lanka 0
UmpiresChris Gaffaney (NZ), Adrian Holdstock (SA)Adrian Holdstock (SA), Joel Wilson (WI)
Miscellaneous- Rain washed out Day 3, Nishan Peiris 0/189 (worst bowling by SL)Cooper Connolly’s debut, Dimuth Karunaratne's 100th and last Test

Performance of the Series :

MomentDetails
Australia Wins First TestAustralia takes a dominant lead in the series with a commanding win in the first Test, setting the tone for the series.
Steve Smith’s Century in First TestCaptain Steve Smith scores a crucial century, leading Australia’s charge in the first Test.
Australia’s Spin DominanceNathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann shine with the ball, taking key wickets throughout the series.
Alex Carey’s Match-winning 156Alex Carey scores a brilliant 156 in the second Test, helping Australia to a comfortable position in the series-clinching match.
Australia Clinches Series VictoryAustralia secures the series with a 9-wicket victory in the second Test, winning 2-0 for their first series win in Sri Lanka in 14 years.
Sri Lanka’s ResilienceDespite heavy losses, Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne display resilience with the bat, trying to keep Sri Lanka competitive.
Australia’s Fast Bowling Impact Mitchell Starc contribute crucial breakthroughs, providing balance to Australia’s attack alongside spinners.
Kuhnemann’s Key WicketsMatthew Kuhnemann takes 16 wickets in the series, playing a crucial role in dismantling Sri Lanka’s batting lineup.
Final Day of the Second TestAustralia wraps up the series victory by chasing down a small target, sealing a 9-wicket victory.
Historic Win for Steve SmithSteve Smith’s leadership is widely praised as Australia wins their first Test series in Sri Lanka in 14 years.

What characterized Australia's 14-year Test cricket dominance is their consistence, resilience, and exceptional performances in every series they played. Really, this streak included, perhaps, something more key victories over the world's top-ranked teams, individual brilliance, and team efforts that fostered a clearer impression of being the world's benchmark in cricket.

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