Australia's tail wagged enough to push their lead close to triple figures, but Sri Lanka's spinners Rangana Herath and Lakshan Sandakan kept their side in the match on the second day in Pallekele. Australia were bowled out half an hour before tea for 203, giving them a first-innings lead of 86, with Sandakan claiming the final three wickets to finish with 4 for 58 on debut.
Herath collected 4 for 49 and did his work in the top and middle order as Australia's batsmen struggled to find momentum. Adam Voges top scored with 47 but the failure of any of the batsmen to go on from their starts prevented Australia from running away with the game. Much will depend on whether Australia's bowlers can apply similar pressure to the first innings, and they started well.
Kusal Perera, sent out to open instead of Dimuth Karunaratne, lasted only five balls before he was lbw to a fullish delivery from Mitchell Starc. Perera, beaten for pace, cut a forlorn figure as he trudged off and was no doubt was even more so when afternoon rain arrived before the new batsman was able to face a ball. An early tea was taken with Sri Lanka at 6 for 1, trailing by 80, and whether play would resume remained to be seen.
Australia had gone to lunch at 146 for 6 and after the resumption lost their last four wickets for 57 runs. Voges was the only Australian batsman to fall to pace on the second day, edging low to gully off Nuwan Pradeep, who worked hard for his 2 for 36 as the only frontline fast bowler in the attack. The rest of the wickets were mopped up by spin.
Sandakan proved hard to pick for Australia's lower order and was rewarded with the wicket of Mitchell Starc, who on 11 was sharply caught behind by Kusal Perera, keeping wickets while Dinesh Chandimal was off the field with a stomach complaint. Sandakan soon added the wicket of Steve O'Keefe, who fought hard for 23 off 80 balls before he was caught at short leg off a wrong'un.
The last man out was Nathan Lyon, lbw for 17 while trying to sweep Sandakan. It meant that 13 of the 20 wickets so far in the Test had fallen to spin, Lyon himself having claimed three and O'Keefe two in Sri Lanka's innings, despite the fact that the pitch was offering just regulation turn.
Herath was always going to be key to Sri Lanka's hopes in this series, and it took only until the second morning for him to send some jitters through the Australian order. Herath picked up three of the four wickets that fell during the extended morning session.
He struck in the second over of the morning and again in the fourth, removing both of Australia's established batsmen within the first 20 balls of the day. Steven Smith danced down the pitch and tried to launch Herath dowin the ground but was done in flight, leaving Chandimal a relatively straightforward stumping opportunity to end Smith's innings on 30.
Voges avoided a golden duck next ball when a big lbw shout was turned down; Sri Lanka reviewed but the ball was only clipping leg stump in the "umpire's call" range. In his next over, though, Herath adjusted his pace and flight once again, a quicker ball from around the wicket getting through Usman Khawaja, who was trapped dead in front for 26. Khawaja knew a review would be futile.
Herath maintained pressure throughout most of the session, bowling in three spells with only short breaks separating them. Sandakan also chipped in with his first Test wicket, that of Mitchell Marsh, who had struck five boundaries on his way to 31 when he failed to pick Sandakan's wrong'un and was bowle to leave Australia at 130 for 5.
That became 137 for 6 when Peter Nevill uncharacteristically lost his head and tried to clear the infield off Herath, succeeding only in lofting a catch to mid-on. Voges and O'Keefe steered Australia to lunch without further damage, but Herath had succeeded in dragging Sri Lanka back into the contest.
(espncricinfo)
