Cricket is more than just a game in places like Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Match Scorecard—it’s a passion that brings people together, young and old, to cheer, groan, and celebrate. The 2nd Test match between the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Match Scorecard, played from February 6 to 9, 2025, at the iconic Galle International Stadium, was no exception. This match, part of the Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2025, was a classic display of skill, strategy, and resilience. Australia emerged victorious by 9 wickets, sealing a 2-0 series sweep in the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy. Let’s dive into the details of this exciting match, breaking down the scorecard and key moments in a way that’s easy for everyone to understand.
The Setting: Galle International Stadium
Galle is a fortress for Sri Lankan cricket, a place where spin bowlers often dominate on a pitch that turns and bounces. The stadium, nestled by the Indian Ocean, is known for its spin-friendly conditions, and this match was no different. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping to set a strong foundation on a surface that would likely deteriorate. Australia, with their potent bowling attack and strong batting lineup, were ready to challenge the hosts.
Sri Lanka’s First Innings: A Rocky Start
Sri Lanka’s batting lineup faced a tough Australian bowling attack led by Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, and Matthew Kuhnemann. The hosts managed 257 runs in their first innings, lasting 97.4 overs. Here’s how it unfolded:
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Pathum Nissanka (11 runs off 31 balls) got out early, bowled by Nathan Lyon, who clipped his leg stump with a clever delivery.
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Dimuth Karunaratne (36 runs off 83 balls) played a steady knock but fell to Lyon, who slid one through his defenses.
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Dinesh Chandimal (74 runs off 163 balls) was the standout, anchoring the innings with a gritty half-century before being stumped by Alex Carey off Kuhnemann.
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Kusal Mendis (85 not out off 139 balls) played a fighting knock, guiding Sri Lanka to a respectable total with 10 fours and a six.
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The rest of the batting struggled, with Angelo Mathews (1 run), Kamindu Mendis (13 runs), and Dhananjaya de Silva (0 runs) falling cheaply. The tail added some runs, but Sri Lanka were bowled out for 257.
Australia’s bowlers were disciplined:
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Mitchell Starc took 3 wickets for 37 runs, including a double blow dismissing Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya in quick succession.
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Nathan Lyon also claimed 3 wickets for 96 runs, using his experience to exploit the turning pitch.
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Matthew Kuhnemann picked up 3 wickets for 63 runs, with key dismissals of Chandimal and Nishan Peiris.
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Travis Head, not a regular bowler, chipped in with 1 wicket, dismissing Kamindu Mendis.
Sri Lanka’s total was decent but not commanding on a pitch that favored spinners. They needed to bowl well to stay in the game.
Australia’s First Innings: A Dominant Response
Australia’s batting lineup, packed with experience and flair, took control. They scored 414 runs in 106.4 overs, gaining a lead of 157 runs. Here’s how their batsmen performed:
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Travis Head (21 runs off 22 balls) started aggressively but was caught at slip off Nishan Peiris.
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Usman Khawaja (36 runs off 57 balls) played a solid knock but was trapped lbw by Peiris.
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Marnus Labuschagne (4 runs off 6 balls) fell early to Prabath Jayasuriya, who bowled a beauty to trap him lbw.
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Steven Smith (131 runs off 254 balls) played a captain’s knock, anchoring the innings with a century that included 10 fours and a six.
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Alex Carey (156 runs off 188 balls) was the star, smashing 15 fours and 2 sixes in a match-defining knock that earned him Player of the Match.
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Josh Inglis (0 runs) had a rare failure, bowled by Jayasuriya for a duck.
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Beau Webster (31 runs off 62 balls) and Cooper Connolly (4 runs) added useful runs before falling to spin.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers toiled hard:
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Prabath Jayasuriya was the pick, taking 5 wickets for 151 runs, including the big scalps of Smith, Carey, and Inglis.
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Nishan Peiris took 3 wickets for 94 runs, dismissing Head and Khawaja.
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Ramesh Mendis claimed 2 wickets, including a huge spinning delivery to bowl Webster.
Australia’s massive total put them in the driver’s seat, with a healthy lead and plenty of time to press for victory.
Sri Lanka’s Second Innings: A Fight, But Not Enough
Trailing by 157 runs, Sri Lanka needed a big effort to avoid defeat. They scored 231 runs in 68.1 overs but couldn’t set a challenging target. Key performances included:
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Angelo Mathews (76 runs off 149 balls) fought hard, scoring a defiant half-century with 4 fours and a six.
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Kusal Mendis (50 runs off 54 balls) played an attacking knock, hitting 5 fours and a six before falling to Lyon.
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Dhananjaya de Silva (23 runs off 46 balls) and Dinesh Chandimal (12 runs off 40 balls) couldn’t convert their starts.
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The rest of the batting collapsed, with Pathum Nissanka (8 runs), Dimuth Karunaratne (14 runs), and the tail failing to contribute significantly.
Australia’s bowlers were relentless:
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Matthew Kuhnemann took 4 wickets for 63 runs, including the early dismissals of Nissanka and Karunaratne.
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Nathan Lyon claimed 4 wickets for 84 runs, reaching his 550th Test wicket with Chandimal’s scalp.
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Beau Webster chipped in with 2 wickets, dismissing Ramesh Mendis and Lahiru Kumara.
Sri Lanka’s total set Australia a modest target of 75 runs, but their batting collapse handed Australia the advantage.
Australia’s Second Innings: A Comfortable Chase
Chasing 75 runs, Australia lost just one wicket to wrap up the match before lunch on Day 4. The chase was straightforward:
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Usman Khawaja (27 not out off 44 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (26 not out off 39 balls) guided Australia home with ease.
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Travis Head (20 runs off 23 balls) fell to Prabath Jayasuriya, caught by Kusal Mendis, but it didn’t dent Australia’s momentum.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers couldn’t make inroads:
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Prabath Jayasuriya took the only wicket, finishing with 1 for 20.
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The other bowlers, including Ramesh Mendis and Nishan Peiris, couldn’t break through.
Australia won by 9 wickets, completing a clinical performance and a 2-0 series sweep.
The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Match Scorecard : A Clear Picture
Below is the full Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Match Scorecard, laid out in an easy-to-read table for clarity.
|
Innings |
Team |
Batsman |
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
SR |
Dismissal |
Bowler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
SL 1st Innings (257/10, 97.4 overs, RR: 2.63) |
|||||||||
|
Sri Lanka |
P Nissanka |
11 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 35.48 |
b Lyon |
Nathan Lyon |
|
|
FDM Karunaratne |
36 | 83 | 3 | 0 | 43.37 |
b Lyon |
Nathan Lyon |
||
|
LD Chandimal |
74 | 163 | 6 | 1 | 45.39 |
st Carey |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
||
|
AD Mathews |
1 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 3.84 |
c Carey |
Nathan Lyon |
||
|
PHKD Mendis |
13 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 61.90 |
c Smith |
Travis Head |
||
|
DM de Silva (c) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
c Webster |
Mitchell Starc |
||
|
BKG Mendis † |
85 | 139 | 10 | 1 | 61.15 |
not out |
– | ||
|
RTM Mendis |
28 | 94 | 2 | 0 | 29.78 |
c Carey |
Mitchell Starc |
||
|
NGRP Jayasuriya |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
c Smith |
Mitchell Starc |
||
|
KN Peiris |
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
b Kuhnemann |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
||
|
CBRLS Kumara |
2 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 7.69 |
c Webster |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
||
|
Extras |
7 |
(b 4, lb 1, nb 2) |
|||||||
|
Bowling |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
||||
|
Mitchell Starc |
16 | 3 | 37 | 3 | 2.31 | ||||
|
Matthew Kuhnemann |
33.4 | 9 | 63 | 3 | 1.87 | ||||
|
Nathan Lyon |
34 | 5 | 96 | 3 | 2.82 | ||||
|
Beau Webster |
3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4.33 | ||||
|
Cooper Connolly |
3 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 | ||||
|
Travis Head |
8 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 3.87 | ||||
|
AUS 1st Innings (414/10, 106.4 overs, RR: 3.88) |
|||||||||
|
Australia |
TM Head |
21 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 95.45 |
c de Silva |
Nishan Peiris |
|
|
UT Khawaja |
36 | 57 | 3 | 0 | 63.15 |
lbw |
Nishan Peiris |
||
|
M Labuschagne |
4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 66.66 |
lbw |
Prabath Jayasuriya |
||
|
SPD Smith (c) |
131 | 254 | 10 | 1 | 51.57 |
c Kusal Mendis |
Prabath Jayasuriya |
||
|
AT Carey † |
156 | 188 | 15 | 2 | 82.97 |
b Jayasuriya |
Prabath Jayasuriya |
||
|
JP Inglis |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
b Jayasuriya |
Prabath Jayasuriya |
||
|
BJ Webster |
31 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 |
b RTM Mendis |
Ramesh Mendis |
||
|
C Connolly |
4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 66.66 |
c RTM Mendis |
Nishan Peiris |
||
|
MA Starc |
8 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 27.58 |
b Jayasuriya |
Prabath Jayasuriya |
||
|
NM Lyon |
2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
not out |
– | ||
|
MP Kuhnemann |
6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
b RTM Mendis |
Ramesh Mendis |
||
|
Extras |
15 |
(b 6, lb 9) |
|||||||
|
Bowling |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
||||
|
Lahiru Kumara |
7 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 5.28 | ||||
|
Dhananjaya de Silva |
5 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 3.60 | ||||
|
Nishan Peiris |
31 | 4 | 94 | 3 | 3.03 | ||||
|
Prabath Jayasuriya |
38 | 6 | 151 | 5 | 3.97 | ||||
|
Ramesh Mendis |
22.4 | 0 | 81 | 2 | 3.57 | ||||
|
Kamindu Mendis |
3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6.00 | ||||
|
SL 2nd Innings (231/10, 68.1 overs, RR: 3.39) |
|||||||||
|
Sri Lanka |
P Nissanka |
8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 |
b Kuhnemann |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
|
|
FDM Karunaratne |
14 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
c Carey |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
||
|
LD Chandimal |
12 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 30.00 |
c Webster |
Nathan Lyon |
||
|
AD Mathews |
76 | 149 | 4 | 1 | 51.00 |
c Webster |
Nathan Lyon |
||
|
PHKD Mendis |
14 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 40.00 |
c Khawaja |
Nathan Lyon |
||
|
DM de Silva (c) |
23 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 50.00 |
c Smith |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
||
|
BKG Mendis † |
50 | 54 | 5 | 1 | 92.59 |
c Smith |
Nathan Lyon |
||
|
RTM Mendis |
0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
c Head |
Beau Webster |
||
|
NGRP Jayasuriya |
6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
c Smith |
Matthew Kuhnemann |
||
|
CBRLS Kumara |
9 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
b Webster |
Beau Webster |
||
|
KN Peiris |
4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
not out |
– | ||
|
Extras |
15 |
(b 4, lb 5, nb 1, pen 5) |
|||||||
|
Bowling |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
||||
|
Mitchell Starc |
4 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 5.50 | ||||
|
Matthew Kuhnemann |
23 | 5 | 63 | 4 | 2.73 | ||||
|
Travis Head |
9 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 3.66 | ||||
|
Nathan Lyon |
28 | 3 | 84 | 4 | 3.00 | ||||
|
Cooper Connolly |
2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4.50 | ||||
|
Beau Webster |
2.1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.76 | ||||
|
AUS 2nd Innings (75/1, 17.4 overs, RR: 4.25) |
|||||||||
|
Australia |
UT Khawaja |
27 | 44 | 3 | 0 | 61.36 |
not out |
– | |
|
TM Head |
20 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 86.95 |
c Kusal Mendis |
Prabath Jayasuriya |
||
|
M Labuschagne |
26 | 39 | 4 | 0 | 66.66 |
not out |
– | ||
|
Extras |
2 |
(lb 2) |
|||||||
|
Bowling |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
||||
|
Ramesh Mendis |
3 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 5.33 | ||||
|
Nishan Peiris |
8 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 4.25 | ||||
|
Prabath Jayasuriya |
6 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 3.33 | ||||
|
Dimuth Karunaratne |
0.4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4.50 |
Key Moments and Performances
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Alex Carey’s Heroics: Carey’s 156 was a game-changer, earning him the Player of the Match award. His aggressive batting, combined with Smith’s steady century, put Australia in a commanding position.
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Nathan Lyon’s Milestone: Lyon reached his 550th Test wicket by dismissing Dinesh Chandimal in the second innings, a testament to his skill on spin-friendly pitches.
-
Sri Lanka’s Fightback: Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews showed heart, but their efforts weren’t enough to counter Australia’s disciplined bowling.
-
Spin Dominance: The pitch at Galle favored spinners, with 28 of the 31 wickets falling to spin bowling. Jayasuriya, Lyon, and Kuhnemann were the stars with the ball.
Why Australia Won
Australia’s victory was built on a strong all-round performance. Their batting depth, led by Carey and Smith, allowed them to post a big total. Their bowlers, especially Lyon and Kuhnemann, exploited the conditions perfectly, while Sri Lanka’s batting lacked consistency. The hosts struggled to build partnerships, and their middle order couldn’t capitalize on starts.
What It Means for Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Match Scorecard Both Teams
For Australia, this 2-0 series sweep is a confidence booster as they prepare for future challenges. For Sri Lanka, it’s a reminder of the work needed to compete against top teams at home. Young players like Nishan Peiris and Prabath Jayasuriya showed promise, but the batting needs to step up.
Wrapping Up
This match was a classic Test battle, with moments of brilliance from both sides. Australia’s dominance was clear, but Sri Lanka’s resilience, especially from Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews, gave fans something to cheer for. The scorecard tells the story of a game where skill, strategy, and a bit of Galle’s magic came together.
