Rain Halts Australia's Dominance as Smith and Khawaja Shine in First Test

Australia's Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja struck unbeaten centuries on a turning Galle pitch, pushing their team to 330/2 against Sri Lanka on the first day of the opening Test. The duo's formidable partnership, coupled with Travis Head's brisk start, placed Australia in a strong position before rain intervened.

On the opening day of the first Test match against Sri Lanka, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja propelled Australia into a dominant position by scoring impressive centuries on the challenging Galle pitch. Despite the rain prematurely ending the day's play, Australia reached a formidable 330/2, with both batsmen unbeaten.

Stand-in captain Smith seamlessly partnered with the experienced Khawaja for an undefeated third-wicket stand of 195 runs, capitalizing on ideal batting conditions. Also contributing was Travis Head, who electrified the innings with a rapid 57 runs off just 40 deliveries, establishing the tone early after Australia elected to bat.

Head's aggressive innings came to an abrupt halt when he mistimed a shot, resulting in a catch to Dinesh Chandimal. Marnus Labuschagne added a steady 20 runs before falling to Jeffrey Vandersay's sharp leg-spin. Smith, marking 10,000 Test runs in style, and Khawaja, both survived close call chances, solidifying Australia's stronghold before rain stopped play.

(With inputs from agencies.)