The debutant Shaun Marsh and the veteran Michael Hussey pushed Australia into a strong position by tea on the 

second day in Pallekele, where they led Sri Lanka on the first innings by 77 runs. Australia still had seven wickets in hand at the end of a disappointing session for Sri Lanka, who had clawed their way back into the contest earlier in the day with three wickets before lunch.

Had Sri Lanka produced a similar session after lunch, Australia's good work from the first day could have been largely undone, but Marsh and Hussey showed impressive resolve. At tea, they had taken the score along to 251 for 3, with Hussey on 68 and Marsh looking a realistic chance to make a century in his first Test innings, on 83.

During the unbeaten 135-run partnership, things became so desperate for Sri Lanka's captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, that he even turned to Kumar Sangakkara to bowl some slow-medium pacers. However, if he thought the change might produce a surprise breakthrough, like when Hussey dismissed Sangakkara on the first day, he was disappointed.

Sangakkara even took the new ball during his second over, an extraordinary move given he was struggling to break 100kph and had only one first-class wicket, Elton Chigumbura, to his name. But Marsh and Hussey calmly saw off Sangakkara and continued their patient innings.

The Australians expect such determination from Hussey, but they must have been mighty impressed by the way Marsh batted. Having played through the difficult earlier period when three wickets fell, he showed no panic, and initially found his runs largely through singles, gradually working into his rhythm to cut and drive boundaries along the ground.

He brought up his half-century with a classy on-drive for four off the legspin of Seekkuge Prasanna, an example of the way he was prepared to use his feet against the spinners. Marsh's milestone brought just the hint of a smile from his father Geoff, who no doubt knew that a big score from his son would make him hard to drop, even when Ricky Ponting returns for the third Test.

Meanwhile, Hussey was punching through gaps, cutting late and finding runs with his usual ease. He survived a tight run-out chance on 39 when he dived full-stretch to make his ground after sprinting through for a quick single to mid-off. The direct hit wasn't enough to get rid of Hussey, another frustrating moment for the Sri Lankans after their first session had gone so well.

Chanaka Welegedara had picked up Michael Clarke, who followed a delivery angled across him and edged to slip for 13, and it was a disappointing stroke to a ball that he could easily have left alone. It was precisely the opposite mistake that Shane Watson had made before the Australians had added any runs to their overnight total.

Watson left the first delivery from Suranga Lakmal, and it was a tight leave, the ball sailing just over the off stump after moving back in a fraction. The very next ball, Watson again shouldered arms and saw his off stump knocked back, just as Dilshan, had on the first day. At least Dilshan's ball jagged in and only just touched the stumps; the ball that got Watson hardly moved and was always too full to leave.

Phillip Hughes and Marsh combined for a 35-run stand that ended when Hughes (36) inside-edged onto his pad and was taken at short-leg off Suraj Randiv. Randiv bowled well, and Sri Lanka will need something special from their spinners to fight back into the game after tea.