Cricket News: Sri Lanka VS Australia-Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews put Sri Lanka in a strong position on Day 3
A day ruled by Sri Lanka batters without any shadow of a doubt as Sri Lanka started the day with a trail of 180 runs and finished with a lead of 67 runs. They still have four wickets left to expand the lead further on the fourth day. Apart from Pathum Nissanka, everyone in the top six went for a score of more than fifty
David Warner Congratulates Dinesh Chandimal for his centuryAustralian bowlers had a hard toil of the day as Dinesh Chandimal batted the whole day after Nathan Lyon trapped Kusal Mendis in an LBW at 85. Chandimal walked in with a refreshingly positive approach alongside Angelo Mathews. The fifties from Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis helped Dinesh Chandimal play for a fearless century. While the senior Sri Lanka batter made a pivotal contribution to put their team on top, Kamindu Mendis was impressive on his debut.
Australia lost their plot at a disadvantage as they lost all their reviews early in the game. There were a couple of chances of LBW and stumping, but none went in the visitors' favor. And when Chandimal was caught outside at edge against Mitchell Starc while playing at 30, Kumar Dharmasena gave not out, had Australia left with a chance to review; it would have been a crucial breakthrough for Australia.
Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson were clinical and consistent with their bowling. Nathan Lyon bowled more than 50 overs, but if they could get proactive support from Alex Carey behind the stumps, things would have been different for the Aussies. They have managed just four wickets on the third day, and with Dinesh Chandimal still on the crease, they can build significant pressure on Australia.