Usman Khawaja hits first Test double century in Galle against Sri Lanka

Australian opener Usman Khawaja registered his maiden double century in Test cricket on Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.

The 38-year-old reached the milestone just before lunch, playing a remarkable knock of 232 runs off 352 balls, including 16 fours and a six.

With this innings, Khawaja recorded his highest-ever Test score, surpassing his previous best of 195* against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2023. He also broke Justin Langer’s record for the most runs scored by an Australian batter in Sri Lanka, overtaking Langer’s 166-run effort in Colombo back in 2004.

In addition to his personal achievement, Khawaja, along with stand-in skipper Steve Smith, set a new record for the highest third-wicket partnership for Australia on Asian soil. The duo surpassed the 222-run stand by Allan Border and Kim Hughes against India at Chennai in 1979.

Smith played a crucial role in Australia's dominance, scoring a brilliant 141 off 251 balls, featuring 12 boundaries and two sixes. His innings came to an end after forming a record-breaking partnership with Khawaja.

The former Australian captain had already made history on Day 1 by notching up his 35th Test century and becoming only the fourth Australian batter to surpass 10,000 Test runs. Smith joined an elite club that includes Ricky Ponting (13,378), Allan Border (11,174), and Steve Waugh (10,927), making him the 15th player overall to reach the landmark.

His century tally of 35 also places him ahead of legendary cricketers like Younis Khan (Pakistan), Brian Lara (West Indies), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), and Sunil Gavaskar (India), all of whom have 34 Test centuries each.

In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, Smith has accumulated 1,193 runs at an average of 38.48, including four centuries and four fifties. He is currently the sixth-highest run-scorer in the championship and the second-highest Australian, behind Khawaja.

With Khawaja’s double century and Smith’s historic feats, Australia has taken firm control of the match, setting the stage for a dominant performance in the series.