Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2025

[GVGjr]

Smith is batting well and Carey has been very solid. There is a bit of work to do because of some doubts with Inglis but we are well placed.

[GVGjr]

Awesome batting by Smith and Carey. I'll hand it to the selectors for moving Carey up the order in the last test and now to number 5 in this innings.

[mighty_west]

Awesome batting by Smith and Carey. I'll hand it to the selectors for moving Carey up the order in the last test and now to number 5 in this innings.

He moved to 5 this innings because Inglis was off the ground for too long to come in at that time, both Smith and Carey have been awesome, Marnus though, might be time for a spell, there was talk about either Inglis or maybe Green when ready to come in at 3, Smith has to stay at 4.

[Bornadog]

Another failure to Marnus. Greg Blewett just mentioned that in his first 30 tests he made 10 centuries and had a batting average of 60+
The next 27 tests his average is 30 and he's made just one century.
To me he changed his batting in terms of trying to score quicker and his concentration has really slipped.

I have said this a few times, he should be dropped till he finds form. Getting really ridiculous now.

[BontlowSzn]

I have said this a few times, he should be dropped till he finds form. Getting really ridiculous now.

Watch him make a meaningless 40 odd not out in the second innings (if we bat again) which keeps him in the side.

Superb batting from Carey and Smith. Poor bowling and tactics from Sri Lanka, but given the conditions very impressive to stay locked in that long.

[mighty_west]

Cooper Connelly would want his debut bat again, every ball he faced was scratchy, and like Konstas trying to smash everything, probably not the right way of going about it on this pitch against decent spin bowlers, now 7 for, will need to pile on a few more runs to try and take this game away from Sri Lanka.

[Bornadog]

Inglis with a reality check

[jeemak]

Angelo Matthews is a funny bat. He looked all at sea early (and through his last innings) and then plays a nice fifty. If you told me he averaged 45 runs at the level in his first ten deliveries I'd have told you you've gone mad.

[jeemak]

As an aside, we're a chance of being rolled here if we let things go and can't keep them under a 125 run lead.

[GVGjr]

As an aside, we're a chance of being rolled here if we let things go and can't keep them under a 125 run lead.

At a 120 lead, you never know but it's highly unlikely we have that sort of lead to chase

Marnus is on a hiding to nothing at the moment. It's unlikely he can make enough runs to get ahead of all the speculation on his future and if he fails then it's another blemish.

The selectors got it right with Smith and Kuhnemann but Connolly should only have been a tourist and their tolerance of the poor form with Marnus is an issue.

[Bornadog]

How many will Marnus make?

Head not really an opener

[Sedat]

Awesome batting by Smith and Carey. I'll hand it to the selectors for moving Carey up the order in the last test and now to number 5 in this innings.

Aussies keen to keep the left/right combination in spinning conditions. They both batted exceptionally well on a tough surface.

Sri Lanka were a massive disappointment in this series in all facets. Aussies clinical and efficient, even not at full strength.

The less said about Ch 7 and their demented coverage of this series, the better. Nobody wants to hear Trent Copeland and Greg Blewett crapping on from a studio for 5 minutes at a time when there are perfectly capable commentators actually at the ground. And what the fark was the point of all the split screen garbage during the 1st test, where Ch 7 thought it would be a good idea to have women's Ashes updates every 5 minutes when that match was already being covered on another one of their shitty channels. Ch 7 are a permanent shitstain on sports broadcasting.

[mighty_west]

At a 120 lead, you never know but it's highly unlikley we have that sort of lead to chase

Marnus is on a hiding to nothing at the moment. It's unlikely he can make enough runs to get ahead of all the speculation on his future and if he fails then it's another blemish.

The selectors got it right with Smith and Kuhnemann but Connolly should only have been a tourist and their tolerance of the poor form with Marnus is an issue.

Kuhnemann was great, had a terrific series, not sure why Connolly was selected, hardly bowled and batted like a T20 player needing 20 off the last over, no value to the side what so ever and whilst the selectors see Kontas as a future opening bat (he's not ready yet), would have preferred he played but batted down the order, we didn't really need Cooper as a bowling option with Lyon, Kuhn, Webster, Head, Labuschagne and even Smith if things got desperate.

[GVGjr]

Kuhnemann was great, had a terrific series, not sure why Connolly was selected, hardly bowled and batted like a T20 player needing 20 off the last over, no value to the side what so ever and whilst the selectors see Kontas as a future opening bat (he's not ready yet), would have preferred he played but batted down the order, we didn't really need Cooper as a bowling option with Lyon, Kuhn, Webster, Head, Labuschagne and even Smith if things got desperate.

With Coopers form and the injury to Inglis we basically played with 9 and won comfortably.
Surely we should have stuck with Murphy?
Kuhnemann bowled well in all innings and Lyon was brilliant as always.
Hopefully the selectors will put a bit of pressure on Marnus who is capable of so much more than what he is producing.

[GVGjr]

Hopes remain high for Cooper Connolly's future in Test cricket following his debut

Cooper Connolly's quiet Test debut won't count against him as Australia flags a future in the top six for the young batting allrounder.

Selectors picked Connolly for a whirlwind Test debut in only his fifth first-class game on the expectation the Galle wicket would make batting very difficult in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

But the pitch was mostly manageable for Australia, other than in a blistering morning session on day three when Sri Lanka weaponised the new ball in a collapse of 7-64.

Coach Andrew McDonald admitted Australia had got it wrong in their predictions that led Connolly to replace third front-line spinner Todd Murphy.

"We felt as though we had enough coverage with the ball, we put a premium on runs," he said.

"That was the justification in our minds. Did that play out the way we thought it would? Maybe not.

"But it was definitely discussed that where we may fail in this game on that surface was with runs."

Connolly ended up bowling only five overs of his left-arm finger-spin and fell for just four runs amid the collapse, miscuing a shot to backward point.

"It was a pretty tricky time to come out and bat in the first innings. He was trying to be quite aggressive and get that lead as high as we could," said stand-in captain Steve Smith.

That was his sole chance at the crease as Australia lost only one wicket on the run chase that locked up a win and series whitewash.

Connolly has already played white-ball cricket for Australia but faces an uncertain future at Test level, with his left-arm spin a less attractive selection proposition outside of Asia.

Sam Konstas and Cameron Green will also return to the selection frame for the World Test Championship final in June and are likely to be considered ahead of him for their batting.

But McDonald said 21-year-old Connolly, who only made his first-class debut last March, had plenty of time to play Test cricket.

"He's just starting it out. I think it's too early to judge anything on that game," the coach said.

"Five overs, the shot that he played, if he had it again, potentially he takes a different option.

"He's one we definitely want for the future, when he gets to the stage where he can press for a top-six batting spot, who knows? But that's what we see for him."

Smith also had high hopes for Connolly.

"He's got a bright future, there's no doubting that," he said.