Australia have pocketed the opening day of second Test in Galle. Dinesh Chandimal's gutsy 74 and Kusal Mendis' 59* helped the Lankans get to 229-9. While for the Aussies, it was Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc to step up and pick up three wickets each to them claim the top position of the day.

After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka earlier on as Nathan Lyon bowled him out cheaply. Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal then together made a solid partnership of 70 runs before Lyon knocking him down on 36. And then Angelo Mathews was cut short by a widish drifter. Travis Head got a chance to bowl and he handed a fine breakthrough picking up the wicket of Kamindu Mendis.

Mitchell Starc then removed Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva for a duck as the Aussies were on top. Dinesh Chandimal fought back with a gutsy knock of 74 from 163 deliveries but Matthew Kuhnemann made sure to not let him score big.

At the backend of the day, Ramesh Mendis and Kusal Mendis together did another rebuild job, adding 65 runs as the Lankans were on track to finish the innings on a big but Mitchell Starc's double blow in an over denied them and reduced them to finish the day on 229-9.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon shared three wickets each, while Matthew Kuhnemann picked up two wickets, Travis Head rolled his arms for a solitary wicket.