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Sri Lanka vs Australia, Live Cricket Score Updates & Ball by Ball commentary, Sri Lanka vs Australia 2016: Match 1 at Pallekele
Just before the first Test Australia regained the ICC Test Championship mace after six long years.
Published: Jul 26, 2016, 09:22 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 26, 2016, 10:08 AM (IST)
Australia face Sri Lanka in first Test of their two-Test series at Pallekele, starting Tuesday. It is Australia’s second tour of Sri Lanka in four series. Their previous tour was in 2011 where they won the three-Test series 2-0. Australia and Sri Lanka will be led by their usual Test skippers, Steven Smith and Angelo Mathews respectively. The latter has a huge task of regrouping his side that has been going through a bad patch with a series of losses, both away and home. Sri Lanka were beaten at home last year by India 1-2. They toured England earlier in the year and faced yet another defeat in the Tests. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test at Kandy
Meanwhile, the results have been excellent for the visitors in the recent times. Since the 2015 Australian summer, Smith and Co. have won twice against the Black Caps (home and away) and thrashed West Indies at home with a 2-0 win in the 3-Test series to rise to the top of the ICC Test rankings. Australia regained the ICC Test Championship mace after six long years. LIVE BLOG: SL vs AUS 2016 Live Cricket Score, 1st Test at Pallekele, Day 1
ICC Chief Dave Richardson heaped praises about the side. “The mace is a symbol of excellence and recognition of a side’s outstanding achievement in the toughest format of the sport. Australia’s winning performances have been exceptional and they thoroughly deserve to be awarded the mace,” said Richardson told icc-cricket.com.
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Australia have been playing exceptional Test cricket for the past 18 months, eventually reaching the No. 1 spot. Paying tribute to the ICC, Smith said, “It is a huge honour to be the number-one ranked Test side in the world and the credit should go to all the work the players and support staff have put in over the last 12 months. I am really proud of our young team and what we have accomplished so far but there is still more we would like to achieve.”