Usman Khawaja marked a major milestone in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle by scoring his maiden double century. After a challenging series against India back home, Khawaja found himself in excellent form, showcasing complete control over his innings against Sri Lanka. His brilliant double hundred, combined with Steve Smith’s 35th Test century, put Australia in a commanding position. By Day 2, Australia had reached 654-6, with Khawaja dismissed on 232 runs.

Khawaja’s double century was particularly historic, as he became the first Australian to score 200 runs in Sri Lanka. The previous record for the highest score by an Australian in Sri Lanka was held by Justin Langer, who scored 166 runs in Colombo. Khawaja’s achievement surpassed Langer’s record, cementing his place in Australian cricket history.

The list of highest individual scores by Australians in Sri Lanka now includes:

232 – Usman Khawaja
166 – Justin Langer
161 – Damien Martyn
153 – Darren Lehmann
145 – Steve Smith

On Day 1, Smith had already made waves by breaking multiple records en route to his 35th Test century. He also became the second-fastest Australian, after Ricky Ponting, and the fourth-fastest overall to reach 10,000 Test runs. Smith’s century also earned him a spot among the six players who have scored 10,000 runs while captaining their team. Smith was leading the Australian side after Pat Cummins pulled out of the series, further highlighting his leadership qualities.

As the series progresses, Australia aims to win their first series in Sri Lanka in 14 years. After ending a decade-long wait for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia now sets its sights on breaking the Sri Lanka drought. Additionally, the team has already secured a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will see them face South Africa in June at Lord’s, regardless of the Sri Lanka series outcome.