Following his double century in the first Test, Usman Khawaja once again demonstrated why he is Australia’s premier batsman in Asian conditions, guiding the visitors past an early setback to reach 85-2 at lunch on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka, reports AP.

At the interval on Friday, Khawaja remained unbeaten on 34, with Steve Smith on 23, as Australia trailed Sri Lanka by 172 runs.

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The 38-year-old veteran, appearing in his 80th Test, had showcased his brilliance last week by scoring his first-ever double hundred. He appeared just as composed against spin this time, facing little difficulty from Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers, who had struck early to dismiss Travis Head (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (4).

From a precarious 37-2, Australia steadied their innings as Khawaja and Smith put together an unbroken 48-run partnership for the third wicket, positioning the tourists well at lunch.

Although Smith experienced some nervous moments, Khawaja remained the epitome of calm. He played with soft hands, used his footwork skilfully, and effectively deployed the reverse sweep once again.

With the pitch offering sharp turn, Australia will require a significant contribution from their in-form opener to gain the upper hand.

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Earlier, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 257 after resuming from their overnight total of 229-9.

Kusal Mendis top-scored for the hosts with an impressive unbeaten 85 but eventually ran out of partners when Lahiru Kumara (2) became Matt Kuhnemann’s (3-63) third wicket of the innings.