Fri Feb 07 10:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Carey’s Century Steers Australia to First Innings Lead in Galle Test
**Galle, Sri Lanka:** Alex Carey smashed a magnificent century, his second in Test cricket and first overseas, to propel Australia to a commanding position on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka. Resuming their innings at a precarious 91/3, Australia found themselves in trouble. However, Carey, batting at number five for the first time in his Test career, anchored the innings with a stunning 128 off 145 balls. His innings also ended a 21-year drought for Australian wicketkeepers scoring centuries in Sri Lanka, the last being Adam Gilchrist in 2004.
Carey’s impressive knock, alongside Steve Smith’s 117, propelled Australia to 316/3 at the close of play, a lead of 59 runs over Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 257. This dominant performance follows Australia’s victory in the first Test, giving them a 1-0 series lead. The partnership between Carey and Smith proved crucial, with Carey exhibiting aggressive strokeplay to accelerate the run rate after a cautious start.
Australia’s batting order saw a slight reshuffle, with Travis Head opening the innings instead of his usual middle-order position. Carey, normally a lower-order batsman, stepped up admirably to fill the number five spot.
First Piper 