15 August,2016 08:28 AM IST | | PTI
Half-centuries from skipper Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh kept Australia in the hunt after Dinesh Chandimal’s ton for Sri Lanka dominated Sunday's play in the third and final Test
Colombo: Half-centuries from skipper Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh kept Australia in the hunt after Dinesh Chandimal's ton for Sri Lanka dominated Sunday's play in the third and final Test.
Australia, who lost opener David Warner early, were 141 for one at stumps on the second day in Colombo and trailing the hosts by 214 in the first innings.
Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored his maiden Test century on Saturday, struck again with the ball to claim the crucial wicket of Warner for 11. But Smith, who was on 61 at stumps, soon took charge along with Marsh who finished the day on 64.
However Chandimal, who started Sunday on 64, was the hero of the day after his dogged 132 helped Sri Lanka post a challenging 355.
Chandimal's overnight partner De Silva advanced from 116 to 129 before falling in the first hour. Their sixth-wicket stand of 211 runs lifted Sri Lanka from a precarious 26 for five to a position of strength. Chandimal recorded his seventh Test century. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc took 5-63, becoming the first Australian bowler to take three fifers in a series in Sri Lanka.
