The defending world champion Australians were closing in on a big win in Galle after enforcing the follow-on and reducing Sri Lanka to 75 for three in its second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the first cricket test on Saturday.

Australia's Usman Khawaja struck a maiden double hundred and Josh Inglis got a century on his test debut against Sri Lanka to power the tourists to a mammoth 654 for six before they declared their first innings on day two of the opening test on Thursday.

Australia had Sri Lanka three down after opener Usman Khawaja’s first double century and a ton on debut by Josh Inglis helped the tourists to 654-6 declared in the first match on Thursday. Sri Lanka were 44-3 by stumps on day two at Galle with senior batsmen Dinesh Chandimal,

Dinesh Chandimal scored an unbeaten 63 as Sri Lanka struggled to 136 for five at lunch Friday in response to Australia’s imposing first innings of 654 for six declared. A rain-curtailed morning session on Day 3 of the first test did little to ease Sri Lanka's woes,

It was a debut three years in the making but Josh Inglis made it one to remember with a thrilling century against Sri Lanka to give Australia another selection headache in the lead-up to the World Test Championship.

With Australia in a commanding position during their opening innings against Sri Lanka, Inglis arrived at the crease with no intention of taking things slowly.