Australia vs Sri Lanka: Joe Burns & Travis Head break 30-year old record held by Dean Jones & Steve Waugh

The duo shared a partnership of 306 runs which is a record for the best stand ever for Australia against Sri Lanka.

Australia had a great start to the second Test match against Sri Lanka on Friday as the pair of Joe Burns and Travis Head slammed centuries to put the hosts in a commanding position against a hapless Sri Lankan team. Burns scored an unbeaten 172 to bring up his fourth Test ton while Head slammed his maiden Test century in what was the first ever Test played at capital Canberra’s Manuka Oval.

Australia's Joe Burns (R) and Travis Head walk back to the pavilion during a tea break on day one of the second Test cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval Cricket Ground in Canberra on February 1, 2019. (AFP)

The duo shared a partnership of 306 runs which is a record for the best stand ever for Australia against Sri Lanka. The duo went past the unbroken 260-run stand between Dean Jones and Steve Waugh in Hobart in December 1989.

This is also the first time sice December 2017 that an Australian pair has put together 300 or more runs in a Test. The last pair to reach the feat were Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh.

Australian skipper Tim Paine won the toss at the Manuka Oval and put his side in on a flat track conducive to batting, a gambit that paid off after some early wobbles.

At stumps, they were a commanding 384 for four with Burns not out 172 and Kurtis Patterson, who was dropped first ball, on 25.

Head fell for 161 after a 308-run stand with Burns — Australia’s first stand over 200 since Steve Smith and Mitch Marsh achieved the feat in the third Test against England in December 2017.

Vishwa Fernando was the best of the bowlers with 3-99.

(With agency inputs)