Steve Smith has ticked off another remarkable feat in Sri Lanka after the home side capitulated late in Galle.
When Prabath Jayasuriya edged to Smith at second slip late on day one of the second Test, the stand-in skipper claimed his 197th Test catch. That effort meant he's taken the most Test catches for Australia, moving past Ricky Ponting.
Smith's effort put Mitchell Starc on a hat-trick after he'd dismissed Ramesh Mendis the ball before. Unfortunately the left-armer's third ball was too wide for Nishan Peiris.
RECAP: Australia v Sri Lanka second Test, day one
Steve Smith breaks Ricky Ponting's record with a catch off Mitchell Starc's bowling. Â Seven Network
It was a dominant day for Australia, with Sri Lanka finishing at 9-228 after winning the toss and choosing to bat.
"If you had of asked Australia, having lost the toss, that they could nearly bowl Sri Lanka out for a score of nearly 230, they would've taken that," Greg Blewett said on Seven.
Sri Lanka's started solidly to be 1-87 at lunch. Pathum Nissanka was the man out, bowled by Nathan Lyon for 11.
After the break the carnage started.
The score of 1-87 became 5-127 very quickly as Lyon took another two wickets along with Travis Head and Mitchell Starc.
Wickets for the latter two came after Smith had just put them into the attack.
"Steve Smith is on fire," Simon Katich said on Seven when Starc dismissed captain Dhananjaya de Silva for a duck.
Sri Lanka then walked off for tea at 5-144 and the curse of a break continued.
Dinesh Chandimal was stumped for 74 off the bowling of Matt Kuhnemann right after play resumed to make it 6-150.
Sri Lanka rallied though and reached 6-215 thanks to the patience of Ramesh Mendis and Kusal Mendis.
However, when the new ball was introduced Ramesh Mendis nicked behind off Starc before Jayasuriya was gone with the next ball.
Mitchell Starc celebrates dismissing Prabath Jayasuriya. Â Getty
Peiris was the last man out, bowled off Kuhnemann for a duck as Australia finished the day in a healthy position.
