Smith, Marsh tons torment Sri Lanka despite Rangana’s 6-for

Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh stroked excellent centuries while Rangana Herath captured his 25^th five-wicket haul as the third and final Test hangs in the balance after day three at SSC grounds.

Herath ended with figures of 6 for 82 to dismiss Australia for 379 as the visitors lost their last 9 wickets for just 112 runs after Smith and Marsh partnered up to post the highest 2^nd wicket stand for Australia against Sri Lanka.

After gaining a slender lead of 24 runs, Australia managed to get the wicket of night watchman, Dilruwan Perera as Sri Lanka ended on 22 for 1 at stumps with Dimuth Karunarathne and Kaushal Silva at the crease.

Earlier in the first session, the Australians cruised their way to score 94 runs without losing a single wicket. Marsh reached his 4^th Test century, 2^nd against Sri Lanka when he swept Dilruwan Perera to the fine-leg boundary in the 65^th over while skipper Smith nudged it to the deep mid-wicket region off Perera to reach his 15^th Test ton, 1^st against Sri Lanka.

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Centurion Shaun Marsh was given two lives on day three by Angelo Mathews at first slip and Kusal Mendis at gully on 67 and 125 respectively but he was undone by the uncertainty whether to play or not as Suranga Lakmal got the all-important breakthrough with the second new ball. The ball ricocheted off the hanging bat and clattered onto the stumps as the highest 2^nd wicket stand for Australia against Sri Lanka, 246 runs off 473 balls ended in an uncharacteristic way.

Herath, troubled by a groin injury claimed his first wicket in the 23^rd over of his spell when he drew Smith forward, spun the ball sharply away from his bat and Kusal Perera whipped off the bails in a flash as Sri Lanka took their 2^nd wicket with the 2^nd new ball.

Few overs later, Moises Henriques, playing his first Test after three years was also drawn forward by the flight & spin of Herath as Kusal Perera did the rest behind the stumps to get his second stumping within 30 minutes to take Sri Lanka back into the game.

Mitchell Marsh made a cracking half-century, 53 off 92 balls with 9 boundaries to rally the tail before he was sharply taken at short-leg by Kusal Mendis off Herath. Nathan Lyon was also caught at short-leg by Mendis but this time off Perera.

Herath bundled out the Aussies as he took out the last two wickets, Josh Hazelwood bowled for a 6-ball duck and Jon Holland caught at slips for 1 as the Australian innings came to a close.

With two more days of Test cricket remaining, the Australians are just ahead of 2 runs while Sri Lanka has 9 wickets remaining. Expect a scintallating end to the ‘Warne-Muralitharan’ trophy.