Australia, Sri Lanka share spoils on day one in Galle

SCORE: Sri Lanka 9-229

SUMMARY: For the first time in the Test series, Sri Lanka won a session, going to lunch at 1-87 after winning the important toss on a dusty Galle wicket already turning plenty. After lunch, Nathan Lyon (3-78) broke a 70-run stand for the second wicket and began a Sri Lankan collapse of 4-34 that looked set to consign the hosts to another capitulation. But No.7 Kusal Mendis (59no) helped Sri Lanka fight back before Mitch Starc (3-37) struck twice in two balls to eat into the tail. 

THE MOMENT: With the new ball, Starc enticed Ramesh Mendis (28) into edging to Alex Carey, breaking a 65-run partnership as shadows began to fall. Ramesh had been brought in to extend the tail but once he was out, Sri Lanka lost two quick wickets and limped to stumps.

THE PLAYER: Nathan Lyon is now one wicket short of 550 Test scalps. He first broke the opening partnership, collecting Pathum Nissanka's leg bail. In the second session, Lyon bowled around the wicket to skittle retiring opener Dimuth Karunaratne (36), before tormenting fellow veteran Angelo Mathews (1) amid the Sri Lankan collapse.

THE STAT: Batting allrounder Cooper Connolly became Australia's least-experienced Test debutant since Pat Cummins in 2011. The 21-year-old donned the baggy green in only his fifth first-class match, with the injured Australian captain doing so for the first time in his fourth.