Sri Lanka batted themselves into a comfortable position at tea on the second day in Colombo, where Lahiru Thirimanne was the only man to fall during a solid session for the hosts. At the break, they had reached 86 for 1 and trailed Australia by 230 runs, with Tharanga Paranavitana on 40 and Kumar Sangakkara on 18.

Both men had endured some nervy moments, Sangakkara having edged Mitchell Johnson just wide of gully and Paranavitana surviving one of the closest lbw reviews seen under the DRS. On 14, Paranavitana was given not out by Aleem Dar but the Australians wanted the decision checked, and while Trent Copeland's delivery had pitched in line and was striking off stump, a fraction less than half the ball was hitting the middle of the stump, saving the batsman.

The only breakthrough came from Peter Siddle, playing his first Test of the tour, when he sneaked through the defence of Thirimanne (28) with a good fullish delivery that straightened off the pitch and rattled the stumps. The Australians had missed the injured Ryan Harris with the new ball, although Copeland did find some edges that didn't go to hand.

Australia wanted early wickets after they reached a competitive but far from imposing total of 316 in the first session, when Michael Hussey continued his remarkable series by scoring his 15th Test century. Sri Lanka's new fast bowler Shaminda Eranga removed Hussey shortly before lunch to finish with four wickets on debut.

Australia added 81 to their overnight score for the loss of their final five wickets, as Eranga and Chanaka Welegedara bowled well and found some swing. But the star of the session was Hussey, who at 36 is in the kind of form he displayed at the start of his Test career. The Man of the Match in the first two Tests, he also gave himself a strong chance of completing a clean-sweep.

Hussey brought up his hundred with a single clipped off his pads off Rangana Herath from his 157th delivery, and it continued an incredible streak against Sri Lanka. In the five Tests he has played against the Sri Lankans, the only match in which Hussey has failed to post a century was the first Test of this series in Galle, where he made 95.

He also became the fifth-fastest Australian to reach 5000 Test runs, getting there in his 107th innings, slower only than Don Bradman, Matthew Hayden, Neil Harvey and Greg Chappell. He reached that milestone with a pair of boundaries cut through point off Welegedara, but for a while it looked like Hussey was in danger of being stranded on 99.

While Hussey waited for his hundred, he watched on as Mitchell Johnson pushed tamely to point off Welegedara and Siddle edged to slip from the next ball. Fortunately for Hussey, Trent Copeland survived the hat-trick ball and provided adequate support, at least, until Welegedara's next over, when he was taken at slip by Mahela Jayawardene.

But by then, Hussey had reached his century, and the goal was simply to push the total as high as possible with the final partnership with Nathan Lyon. Hussey lofted a six over long-on off Herath, before on 118 he was tricked by a slower ball and played on, completing a fine debut performance from Eranga, who finished with 4 for 65.

Eranga had picked up the first wicket of the day when a very good outswinger was adjudged to have caught the edge of Brad Haddin's bat when he was on 35. Haddin looked surprised by the decision and asked for a review, but there was a slight noise as the ball passed the bat and there was certainly no evidence to reprieve him.

Haddin had struck six boundaries in his innings, but mixed in several plays and misses with his successes. In the end, he was simply outclassed by a fine delivery from Eranga. Now Sri Lanka need a similarly strong performance from their batsmen.