Alex Carey’s spot in the playing XI wasn’t guaranteed for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The team management planned to use Josh Inglis for the series as the 29-year-old has proved his worth in spin-friendly conditions. The keeper-batter was eventually handed his debut game in the first Test but interestingly, Carey found a spot as well. Travis Head was moved to opening, helping both cricketers feature in the playing XI.
In the opening game of the series, Carey played a valuable knock of unbeaten 46 and in the second, he scripted history by becoming the first Australian keeper-batter to score 150 or more runs in a Test innings in Asia. Former cricketer Adam Gilchrist made 144 runs against Sri Lanka in Kandy in 2004 and that was to date the highest individual score by an Australian cricketer in Asia.
| Australia keeper-batters | Highest score in Asia |
| Alex Carey | 156 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 144 |
| Tim Paine | 92 |
| Ian Healy | 90 |
Notably, this was also Carey’s first century on Asian soil. In his early encounters, the 33-year-old struggled against spinners but managed to convert his start this time around. He also became the second Australian keeper-batter to hit a Test ton on Asian soil. Gilchrist, on the other hand, has four to his name.
Carey eventually departed after scoring 156 runs. He stitched a sensational 259-run partnership with captain Steve Smith, who made 131. The visitors were reduced to 91/3 and that’s when Smith and Carey took control and helped Australia get back into the contest. Sri Lanka were heavily dependent on their spinners but they failed to deliver as the Smith-led side managed a convincing lead in the first innings.
Sri Lanka will now depend on their batters to produce a better performance. That remains to be the only way for them to make a comeback in the Test. Australia meanwhile would hope for a clean sweep.
