Cummins Bowls Aussies To Victory

Pat Cummins destroyed Sri Lanka with 6-23 as Australia won the first Test by an innings and 40 runs to take a 1-0 series lead.

Having claimed four wickets in the Asians’ paltry first-innings’ 144, the 25-year-old fast bowler tore through the tourists’ top-order as they ended up on 139-9, with Lahiru Kumara absent due to injury.

It was always going to be tough for Sri Lanka to compete once they had made such a low total first time out, and they failed to make the Aussies bat again after the men from Down Under had posted 323 in their first knock.

It was all about survival from a position of 17-1 at the start of day three but the islanders could not deal with Cummins’ pace and hostility, with Lahiru Thirimanne’s 32 the top score.

Cummins took out the first five batsmen, with skipper Dinesh Chandimal out for a duck and Kusal Mendis making just one, and it was left to wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella and tail-ender Suranga Lakmal to give the scoreboard a better look.

The duo made 24 apiece while Jhye Richardson took two wickets for the Baggy Greens.

It was a woeful display by Chandimal’s men and they will need to regroup quickly, with the second and final match due to start on Thursday in Canberra.