Smith, Carey's spin-batting masterclass flattens Sri Lanka

Arguably Australia's best Test batter of the modern era, Steve Smith installed himself as indisputably the greatest-ever on spin-friendly Asian pitches with an exquisite century that handed his team control of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Forging a game-changing third-wicket, still-unbeaten stand of 239 with Alex Carey whose similarly sublime 139no would have stood as a solo act on most other days, stand-in skipper Smith is now eyeing a rare series win on the subcontinent in this two-Test campaign.

At stumps on day two, Australia are 3-330 and holding a 73-run lead on a pitch that has so far defied predictions it will deteriorate into a spinning, spitting minefield.

While Smith's five-hour knock constituted a triumph of hand-craft as he manipulated Sri Lanka's underwhelming spinners and even pulled out a few rarely seen reverse sweeps, Carey's flawless play square of the wicket and down the ground proved the perfect foil.

Indeed, the keeper-batter's second Test ton came at the extraordinary pace of almost a run a ball having been promoted to number five in the order because of the time penalty imposed on teammate Josh Inglis who suffered a back problem yesterday.

It's the second Test in a row Carey has won a promotion, elevated from his traditional role at seven where he had played all but one of his previous 55 innings for Australia, having batted at six in last week's first Test at Galle to better balanced their reshuffled order.

But for all the plaudits he earned for the century that followed an unbeaten 46 in his only hit of the first Test, it was Smith's achievement that will echo loudest through history.

When he reached 28 today, he overtook Ricky Ponting's benchmark as Australia's most prolific Test runs scorer in Asia.

He then powered on to his 36th Test century which installs him at equal fifth on the all-time list of hundred-makers alongside England's Joe Root and India's Rahul Dravid, and overtook another ex-skipper Allan Border's previous record of six tons by an Australia batter on the subcontinent.

Unlike Carey's seamless progress to triple figures, Smith's knock in enervating heat was not without its nervous moments.

He was the subject of a speculative lbw shout first-ball he faced but survived the subsequent review, and then was adjudged out when on 25 only to have the on-field decision reversed by his own judicious of the DRS process.

Another confident lbw appeal when he had reached 91 gave Sri Lanka hope they had finally conquered the man who plundered 141 in the first Test, but when that was also struck down upon review the wind disappeared from the home team's sails.

Smith reached his fourth century in his past five Tests in imperious fashion, thumping a long-hop from part-timer Kamindu Mendis to the mid-wicket rope as he raised in arms in triumph, beat his chest with his fist and engaged in a sweaty hug.

He had also endured a broken bat early in his 239-ball stay which required a quick road test of four discarded options before he settled on a fresh stick, and a tweak to his lower back after attempting a lofted drive down the ground on 81.

But he remained unbowed and ultimately unbeaten, even if teammates did bring out a chair on to which he slumped during the day's final drinks break where he was fed a banana and energy drinks with a damp towel draped around his shoulders.

On a pitch unashamedly prepared for the strengths of their game at home, Sri Lanka's position would be decidedly more dire if not for the outstanding rearguard innings from keeper-batter Kusal Mendis.

Several Australia players have privately expressed surprise that Kusal – who has spent a bulk of his 71 Tests since his debut in 2015 batting in Sri Lanka's top four – has been relegated to number seven over the past 12 months.

In that revised role he routinely finds himself batting alongside a tail that exhibits all the solidity of a pappadam, but it was solely due to the 30-year-old's unbeaten 85 that his team was able to post a total beyond 200.

Sri Lanka had slipped to 6-150 soon after tea yesterday, then 8-215 shortly before stumps with Kusal seemingly destined to remain stranded.

However, he found an unlikely ally in pace bowler Lahiru Kumara (first-class batting average 8.5) who endured for 46 minutes in a partnership that added 33 for the final wicket including 28 from 7.4 overs this morning.

It meant that, while falling well short of the 350 Sri Lanka had identified as their first-innings ambition, Sri Lanka pushed past 250 which was not insubstantial given batting conditions were expected to become extremely tough from today onwards.

But Sri Lanka's dissatisfaction with a score of 257 became apparent from the outset of their bowling innings when skipper Dhananjaya de Silva opted for conservative fields which allowed Australia to operate at their preferred pace.

Despite the presence of two frontline off-spinners in his XI, Dhananjaya chose to open the bowling with his increasingly occasional spin which posed no threat, with Head and Khawaja collecting singles at will with regular boundaries as well.

It seemed Head's reputation as a wrecking ball at the top of the order had spooked the hosts, with three fielders stationed on the boundary and a further four positioned beyond what would constitute the inner circle of a limited-overs fixture.

With the innings just five overs old, the only catchers beyond Kusal behind the stumps were a slip and a short leg.

Even when Australia wickets fell either side of lunch, Sri Lanka were unwilling to apply a squeeze which enabled both Smith and Carey to ease into their respective innings.

It then reached the stage shortly after tea when Jayasuriya – his team's most potent spinner operating on a tailor-made track he knows intimately – bowled over after over pitching outside leg stump to Smith who dismissively padded away those non-threatening deliveries.

The only casualty of that battle was Jayasuriya, who left the field with what appeared to be soreness in his right knee having sent down 19 overs.

His absence rendered Sri Lanka's attack even more impotent, and they enlisted ambidextrous part-timer Kamindu Mendis who opted for right-arm off spin with little effect.

The only flat spot for Australia as they look to make good a pledge to bat just once on a pitch that continues to threaten is Marnus Labuschagne who looked bereft of confidence and form when he was pinned lbw having scored just four.

Labuschagne had arrived at the crease following the early dismissal of Travis Head (21 off 22 balls) who fell victim to his aggressive approach, and looked immediately comfortable as he drove the first ball he faced to the extra cover boundary.

But it proved a false dawn, as Sri Lanka responded to the arrival of a right-hander at the crease by deploying left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya who caused Labuschagne instant grief.

Jayasuriya's first delivery to Australia's number three ripped off the surface and fizzed past the outside edge of Labuschagne's bat which effectively erased any sense of reassurance gained from that initial boundary.

Three balls later, Labuschagne's sudden uncertainty was laid bare as he instinctively pressed forward then hurriedly lunged back to a ball from the left-armer that was pushed through faster, skidded off the pitch and thudded into the knee roll of the back pad.

Apart from a clearly anxious Labuschagne, the only person at Galle Stadium who felt it might have missed the stumps was umpire Adrian Holdstock, with the incredulous bowler demanding and earning an off-field review.

Labuschagne was symbolically on his knees with chin resting on his bat handle as he and batting partner Khawaja watched the video process play out, and was demonstrably crestfallen when the expected verdict was returned.

His dismissal so soon after Head's removal saw Australia an anxious 2-37 with Sri Lanka's spinners applying the squeeze, a position that would have been significantly more dire had Smith succumbed to Jayasuriya's fanatical lbw appeal first ball.

However, the home team's hopes it was a carbon copy of Labuschagne's dismissal were dashed by a DRS process that revealed the ball sliding well past leg stump and Australia's consummate player of spin survived.

By lunch, Smith and Usman Khawaja had added a further 48 without undue fuss but it took just a handful of deliveries upon resumption for the complexion to change again.

It was the second over of the afternoon session that saw Smith adjudged lbw to off spinner Nishan Peiris, a decision he seemed to find personally affronting as he animatedly called for a review.

It proved his strongly held view the ball had struck him outside the line of off stump, and his judgement was proved superior to that of umpire Joel Wilson who was forced to reverse another decision.

It didn't deter Wilson raising his finger again in Peiris's next over when Khawaja tried to pull a ball that didn't bounce as expected, but this time the official was proved correct leaving Australia 3-91 and still 166 runs in arrears.

If the delicately poised scoreline wasn't sufficient to cause some mild anxiety among the visitors, the fact Khawaja's wicket fell pretty much on the stroke of 1pm local time might have.

Given the amount of time Inglis had spent off the field across the first two days due to back stiffness and soreness, Australia were informed he could not bat at his listed position at number five until the clock had ticked past 1.20pm.

Inglis was literally reduced to a spectator, stuck on the wrong side of the boundary clad in full playing kit having just completed a session of batting in the nets to show was feeling fit enough to resume his place.

As the game currently stands, he might have missed his chance to have a hit.

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka

First Test: Australia win by an innings and 242 runs

Second Test: February 6-10, Galle (3.30pm AEDT)

Sri Lanka Test squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka (subject to fitness), Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

First ODI: February 12, Colombo (3.30pm AEDT)

Second ODI: February 14, Colombo (3.30pm AEDT)