A fightback late on day two from Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh has left Australia in good position against Sri Lanka coming into Day 3 of the third Test. Join The Roar from 2:30pm (AEST) for all the live scores and continued coverage of the third test.
Australia are sitting on fairly even keel at the moment despite a first innings bowling effort that left a lot to be desired.
The Baggy Green shot out of the gates on the first day to leave the hosts panicking in the water at 5/26 and firmly on the front foot.
Things would only go downhill from there though as Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva pieced together a record-breaking 211-run partnership to steer the ship back in the Sri Lankans’ direction.
A late cameo from Rangana Herath took the total up towards 350 before Mitch Starc cleaned up the final two wickets, picking up yet another five-wicket haul, his third in five innings.
Finally all out for 355, the Australians wasted no time in taking the fight back to the home side, with Dave Warner hitting a six of the very first ball of the innings.
Joy would turn to pain for Warner very quickly though as he found himself walking back to the pavilion at the end of the fourth over.
Skipper Smith would come to the crease and link up with the returning Marsh to piece together a beautifully constructed 120 run partnership to get their side right back in the contest.
Both men notched up their fifties late in the day, just the second and third of the series for Australia.
Australia have one key here and it may seem like an obvious one, but Marsh and Smith can’t get out. They can’t get out early anyway.
If these two can build that partnership up towards 200 and beyond, then the Aussies will be right on top and in a position to go for the slog later in the innings and take the total right out into dangerous territory for Sri Lanka.
Similarly obvious, Sri Lanka need early wickets. Even just one of them in the opening half hour can lead to three or four in the first session. We’ve seen how Australia can collapse when they lose one wicket and it snowballs.
A big hundred could be what Marsh needs to cement that test spot after so many years in limbo, so he’ll no doubt be looking to send a message to the selectors on day three.
Prediction
Smith and Marsh played better and looked more comfortable in the yesterdays last session than the whole squad has all series.
Both of them should tick over their centuries before lunch. Sri Lanka won’t be bowing down though and should keep Australia restricted to around their own total or possibly as high as 400 at the end of the day with seven wickets down.
madmonk
Guest
Connor I'll take you back to your comment at 4.13 pm "Australia in a very commanding position." And I replied at 4.27pm "Bit early to say a commanding position, Australia has had a first innings lead in this series and lost and certainly has lost the last 9 wickets for less than 130 a couple of times. A long tail and batting last so bit early to describe as commanding." Careful on the hyperbole next time.
Prosen
Guest
Yes anything over 150 is going to be testing on the last day.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
As others have mentioned, Australia has missed a trick here by not getting a lead of over 100 Advantage Sri Lanka, with anything over 150 being decisive here keeping in mind Herath's absence from the first half of Australia's 1st innings. He will be there from ball one in the 2nd on a worn pitch making him all the more dangerous The Aussies will rely heavily on Starc who really cannot be expected to do more than he already has meaning the emphasis falls on the spinners to lift. They were great at saving runs in the first with Lyon upping his speed to help in this but can they be wicketing taking factors in conditions that suit? How they answer that question coupled with how well SL bat will decide this match
Prosen
Guest
Australia has thrown away a glorious opportunity to take a 100 lead.now just wait n see them dance to whitewash on the final day.fairly new experience for me to see such a dumb aussie side.
baz
Guest
if you look at there first class averages of our tail not too bad just seems not many aussies can bat on this wickets. Only 3 pasted 50. Our dropped catches are hurting us big time though. it was tough but is nevill our best keeper ? he missed a few here
Johnno
Guest
Aussies lost about 8/90.
riddler
Guest
our tail is very ordinary. the pommies now have a good tail..after many years of being quite average, they are impressive.. better even still when board sorts out his head issues and gets back to how he was batting before the hit..
Connor Bennett
Editor
Sri Lanka trail by just 2 runs at the end of the day with one wicket down. A big collapse after lunch and past tea has kept the hosts in this game well and truly after it looked like Smith and Marsh would take the game away from them
Connor Bennett
Editor
STUMPS ON DAY THREE Silva hits a four on the final ball from Starc to end the day, one that the Sri Lankans can be very pleased with. SL 1/22 (5 overs)
Connor Bennett
Editor
Kaushal Silva comes out to bat to join his usual opening partner for the final few overs of the day
Connor Bennett
Editor
GOOOONE STARC STRIKES EARLY!! First over of the innings, back end of the day, but that won't stop Starc from picking up yet another wicket in what has been an incredible series so far. M Perera lbw Starc 8 (4) The nightwatchman is gone. Will they send in another one? SL 1/8 (0.4 overs)
Rellum
Roar Guru
I think all the roads we play on at home help create the myth that we have this super great tail.
howzyapappa
Guest
what a ball from Starc. I know he is the nightwatchmen but that a beautiful swinging ball
Connor Bennett
Editor
Dimuth Karunaratne comes out to the middle with a nightwatchman partnering him at the crease, Dilruwan Perera. Mitch Starc will open the bowling
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Definitely. Lyon spent most of his test career at #11. Here he's batting #9 after not only bringing in Hazlewood, but now Holland also. SOK's injury really hurts in this area too. He batted ahead of Starc, not behind Hazlewood, and for a reason. Lyon is a pretty good #11, but a pretty poor #9. Especially in foreign conditions like this it's a very crumbly tail. We are basically playing with 3 #11's!
moaman
Roar Guru
Herath is a seriously good bowler in these sort of conditions.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Sri Lanka will have to navigate five overs before stumps
moaman
Roar Guru
Bit of a dramatic turnaround since lunch!
Connor Bennett
Editor
END OF INNINGS Australia all out for 379 in the end thanks to a six wicket haul from the evergreen veteran Rangana Herath. The Baggy Green was cruising with Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh both on hundreds after the lunch break, sitting comfortably at 1/267 before losing their final nine wickets for 112 runs, thanks mainly to a Mitch Marsh half century. Australia can still be happy they have a lead though, just not as big as they would have liked.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Big opportunity missed to build a good lead here. One thinks they really needed a good 100+ lead here, and they had a great chance to build that.