Smith joins Root on 36 Test centuries as Australia dominate

Second Test, Galle (day two of five):

Sri Lanka 257: K Mendis 85*, Starc 3-37, Kuhnemann 3-63, Lyon 3-99

Australia 330-3: Carey 139*, Smith 120*, Peiris 2-70

Australia lead by 73 runs

On day two of the second Test in Galle, Steve Smith scored his 36th Test century as Australia won the match against Sri Lanka.

Smith was 120 not out as Australia reached 330-3 at stumps, a first-innings lead of 73.

The right-hander joins England’s Joe Root and India’s Rahul Dravid on 36 Test centuries – the fifth most in history.

The 35-year-old reached the landmark in 206 innings, the second fastest behind compatriot Ricky Ponting, who made 36 centuries in 200 innings.

Smith’s latest hundred came up off 191 balls with nine fours and one six.

Smith went 12 Tests and 23 innings without scoring in his previous five Test starts after a subpar run of form saw him go without one. He now has four hundred.

As the pair shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 239. The wicketkeeper, Alex Carey, who made his second Test century off 118 balls and was unbeaten on 139 at stumps, outscored him.

Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne left Australia 37-2, and Smith shared 54 with Usman Khawaja (36), for the third wicket, after off-spinner Nishan Peiris removed them.

Earlier, Sri Lanka added 28 to their overnight 229-9 before spinner Matthew Kuhnemann had Lahiru Kumara caught by Beau Webster.

Kuhnemann took his third wicket with an 85 not out run, leaving Kusal Mendis stranded.