Chandimal Shines as Sri Lanka Struggles Against Australia in 1st Test

In the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Galle, Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten 63 has been the standout performance amid persistent rain and a struggling Sri Lankan batting order, which found themselves at 136-5 and still trailing by 518 runs after Australia declared at 654-6. The day saw limited play, with Sri Lanka losing crucial wickets including Kamindu Mendis and captain Dhananjaya de Silva, both of whom failed to build on their starts. Australia, bolstered by Usman Khawaja's career-best 232 and solid contributions from Steve Smith and Josh Inglis, firmly established their dominance in the match. Chandimal, who has averaged over 50 since being promoted to number three, faces an uphill battle to help his team avoid the follow-on. The match will resume with rain expected to continue affecting play. The picturesque venue of Galle will also host the second Test next week, followed by a two-match ODI series in Colombo.