Shaun Marsh became the 19th Australian to score a century on Test debut and Michael Hussey made his 14th Test hundred as Australia ground Sri Lanka into the turf on the third day in Pallekele. However, the major concern for Michael Clarke's men was proving to be the weather, with only eight overs bowled in the second session due to heavy rain.

That was enough for a mini-collapse from Australia's middle order and when the umpires called for the covers, Usman Khawaja was at the crease on 13 with Ryan Harris on 9. Harris had denied Suraj Randiv a hat-trick after he accounted for Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in consecutive deliveries; the hat-trick delivery turned and beat Harris, narrowly missing bat and stumps.

Haddin's poor batting form continued when he tamely lofted Randiv to mid-on for 1, and next ball Johnson offered no shot to a delivery he expected to turn away from him; the topspinner went straight on and bowled him. That dismissal made it three wickets in seven balls for the addition of one run, after Marsh pulled Suranga Lakmal to deep midwicket.

It ended his wonderful innings on 141 and gave him the seventh highest score by an Australian on Test debut. It also gave Marsh bragging rights in the family; his father Geoff, who cheered from the stands as his son reached triple figures, played 50 Tests for Australia and was vice-captain to Allan Border, but his best innings was 138.

By the time Marsh departed he had, with the help of Hussey, put Australia into an almost unbeatable position. Sri Lanka began the day with a deficit of 90 and they needed a huge session to fight back into the contest, but their only moment of joy before lunch came when Hussey, on 142, lofted a catch to deep cover to hand Thilan Samaraweera his first Test wicket in seven years.

It ended a wonderful 258-run partnership between Hussey and Marsh, the second highest for Australia in Tests against Sri Lanka, and the highest for any country for the fourth wicket against Sri Lanka. The batsmen both reached their centuries in the same over, the veteran Hussey pushing a two past midwicket off Randiv, before Marsh swept two from the final ball of the over.

It was a wonderful moment for the Marsh family; Geoff jumped to his feet in the stands, riding the two runs home like he was cheering on a race-horse, and Shaun raised his bat and high-fived Hussey when he caught his breath. Marsh had become the second Australian to score a century on debut batting at No.3 - the first was Bill Ponsford.

Negotiating the nineties had taken a while for Marsh, Hussey was on 76 when Marsh moved out of the eighties but he quickly overtook his junior partner. Both batsmen lifted their output after reaching their milestones, and Marsh brought out some of his limited-overs strokes, including a brutal drive back over the bowler's head for four off Chanaka Welegedara.

For Hussey, the hundred was his third in his past seven Tests, and since the start of the Ashes he has averaged 68.50. It continued a remarkable Test for Hussey, who in Sri Lanka's innings took a stunning catch hurling himself to his left at gully, and bowled a wicket maiden to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara. All he needs to do now is find a way to stop the rain.