Matthew Kuhnemann has taken a five-wicket haul only two weeks after dislocating his thumb, helping Australia rip through Sri Lanka and reassert dominance in the Test series opener in Galle.
Rain washed out the final two sessions on day three, but Australia took only 45 minutes to skittle Sri Lanka on a sunny start to day four on Saturday, finishing the first innings 489 runs ahead.
Australia (6-654 declared) have enforced the follow-on for only the sixth time since 2010 as they pursue a resounding victory that could come before the end of the day.
The end appeared nigh for Sri Lanka after Kuhnemann (5-63) and Nathan Lyon (3-57) dispatched their last two recognised batters inside half an hour.
The Sri Lankans, who started the day at 5-136, lost 5-9 in an almighty collapse and were all out for 165.
It marked Australia’s biggest first-innings lead since 2003, when opener Matthew Hayden scored a then world-record 380 against Zimbabwe in Perth.
Australia’s third offspinner Todd Murphy was not even called on to bowl on the dusty pitch on Saturday morning, with Kuhnemann and Lyon finishing the job in their opening spells.
In doubt for the two-match series after he injured his right thumb playing Big Bash League, left-armer Kuhnemann opened the floodgates by nabbing Kusal Mendis (21).
He finished with the second five-wicket haul of his four-match Test career.
Kuhnemann called Steve Smith a tactical “genius” after day three and would have felt the same way when Mendis fell right into the captain’s trap early on day four.
The wicketkeeper’s sweep ballooned up to Murphy, who had been placed at square leg for exactly that kind of a shot.
With his diving catch on Mendis, Murphy helped Australia cut into Sri Lanka’s bowlers in a wicket maiden for Kuhnemann.
In the next over, Lyon took the prized wicket of Dinesh Chandimal (72), the only batter to offer resistance.
Chandimal also fell attempting the sweep shot that worked so well for Australia in their best-ever innings on the subcontinent.
Bowling around the wicket, Lyon struck Chandimal’s back pad and Ball Tracker showed the delivery striking off stump after the former captain unsuccessfully reviewed.
The tail could not wag thereafter, with Alex Carey stumping Prabath Jayasuriya (0) from Kuhnemann’s bowling.
It was the mild-mannered Kuhnemann who finished the innings as Jeffrey Vandersay (4) skied him to Mitch Starc at cover.
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