Twitter Reactions: Usman Khawaja-Steve Smith centuries puts Australia in driver's seat against Sri Lanka on opening day
Steve Smith went past 10,000 runs in his Test career for Australia on Day 1.
Island nation Sri Lanka are hosting Australia in a two-match Test series, being held at the Galle International Stadium in Galle. The first Test kicked off on Wednesday, January 29. The stand-in Australian Skipper, Steve Smith, won the toss and chose to bat first with Usman Khawaja and Travis Head coming in to open the batting.
As the match progressed, Head continued with his aggressive approach and scored briskly at the top, before getting dismissed by Prabath Jayasuriya for 57 off 40 deliveries. Notably, the opening pair put up a partnership of 92 runs.
After the opening partnership, the Aussies continued their dominance with the bat. Though Marnus Labuschagne once again disappointed with the bat by getting dismissed for just 20, the third wicket partnership between Steve Smith and Khawaja of 195 runs propelled the visitors to a strong position. Both the batters scored scintillating centuries to put Australia in the box seat on Day 1.
Khawaja and Smith start 2025 with a bang
This was the first Test series for Australia in 2025 and it is a great sign that two of their top batters have finally found some form. Usman Khawaja had one of his worst seasons in 2024 and has finally found some form with an incredible century while remaining unbeaten on a score of 147* off just 210 deliveries. His innings included 10 fours and one maximum.
Apart from Khawaja, this was also an iconic start to the year for stand-in skipper and the legendary batter Smith, who not only went past the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket but also scored his 35th ton in the format. The veteran remained unbeaten on 104* off 188 deliveries. During his long stay, his knock was laced with 10 beautiful boundaries and a wonderful six off Prabhat Jayasuriya which was hit straight down the ground. Consequently, Australia finished with 330/'2 on the board, before rain forced an early end to the opening day of the first Test.
Meanwhile, here is how the fans reacted to Day 1 of SL vs AUS first Test:
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