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Kandy: Australia's bowlers ripped through Sri Lanka's brittle batting lineup to dismiss the home side for 117 early in the middle session on the first day of the opening test at Pallekele on Tuesday.
Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja steadied Australia following a shaky start in Pallekele, where Sri Lanka's capitulation for 117 was followed by Australia losing both openers inside four overs.
At stump on the first day, Smith and Khawaja had restored some normality on what was, after all, quite a decent batting pitch. At the break, Smith was on 28 and Khawaja on 25, and at 66 for 2 Australia trailed by just 51.
Notably, a half-century had been raised. True, it was only a partnership, but the 59-run Khawaja-Smith union was already more than double the next best stand of the match, the 25 compiled by Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal.
Earlier, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon shared six wickets, while Mitchell Starc and Steve O'Keefe picked up two apiece as the hosts were shot out shortly after lunch.
Debutant all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva (24) was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who have lost their last two test series in New Zealand and England.
However, after Australia pace duo Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc ensured the tourists took full control with the new ball by reducing the hosts to 18-3 inside 10 overs.
Left-armer Starc, making his comeback after a long injury layoff, sent back Dimuth Karunaratne, with the opening batsman failing to get the umpire's leg before wicket verdict overturned on review.
The 25-year-old Hazlewood, bowling an impeccable line and length, then dismissed Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva and returned for another spell before lunch to lure Dinesh Chandimal into an edge behind to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill.
Left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe, who was included alongside Lyon, he dismissed Sri Lanka captain Mathews.
Lyon found a lot of turn from the surface and picked up his three wickets from just seven deliveries after the lunch interval as Sri Lanka's batsman appeared keen to return to the pavilion as quickly as they departed it.
Rangana Herath became Starc's second victim and Australia's ninth after Smith successfully overturned the umpire's 'not out' decision for leg before on review.
Earlier, injury-ravaged Sri Lanka, ranked seventh in the world, also handed a debut to left-arm slow bowler Lakshan Sandakan against the world's top-ranked test side.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka - 117 (Lyon 3-12, Hazlewood 3-21)
Australia - 66 for 2 (Smith 28*)
Status - Australia trial by 51 runs
