Australia has officially secured the second position in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table after a commanding 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka. The victory, confirmed on Sunday, saw Australia finish the league stage with a win percentage of 67.54%, just behind table leaders South Africa, who topped the standings with 69.44% after 12 matches.
The Australians dominated both Test matches, played in Galle, securing an emphatic innings-and-242-run victory in the first game before sealing the series with another strong performance in the second match.
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In the second Test, Sri Lanka opted to bat first but struggled against Australia’s spin attack. Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann dismantled the top order, taking three wickets each, while Mitchell Starc made an impact in the lower-middle order with another three scalps. Dinesh Chandimal (74) and Kusal Mendis (85*) provided some resistance, but Sri Lanka could only manage 257 runs in their first innings.
Australia, in response, faced early struggles but was rescued by Steve Smith and Alex Carey. The duo built a remarkable double-century partnership, both reaching well-deserved centuries to give Australia a crucial 157-run lead.
The Sri Lankan batters had no answer to Australia’s relentless bowling attack in the second innings, with Lyon and Kuhnemann striking again. Despite Kusal Mendis scoring another fifty and Angelo Mathews fighting hard with 76, Sri Lanka could only post a 74-run lead. Australia comfortably chased down the target with nearly two days to spare, losing just one wicket in the process.
The match also marked the end of Dimuth Karunaratne’s Test career, as the veteran opener retired after his 100th Test appearance. Karunaratne, who announced his retirement earlier in the week, concluded an illustrious career spanning nearly 13 years.
With the series wrapped up, all attention now shifts to the WTC Final, where Australia will take on South Africa at Lord’s from June 11 to 15 in a highly anticipated clash for the championship title.
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