With bad light forcing early abandonment of play on day four of the opening Test against Sri Lanka, Australia face a tricky chase when they resume their innings on the final day in Kandy on Saturday.
Australia were precariously placed at 83 for three when bad light forced umpires to call early stumps at the Pallekele Stadium. Spinners Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and debutant spinner Lakshan Sandakan bagged a wicket apiece to tighten grip on the tourists.
Chasing a formidable target of 268, Australian captain Steve Smith (26 not out) and veteran batsman Adam Voges (9 not out) will resume the tourists' fightback on the concluding day.
Earlier, Sri Lanka fended off Australian bowlers to put a solid score of 353 in their second innings, thanks to Kusal Mendis' maiden century of 176 and some late fightback by tail-enders.
It was a remarkable turnaround from Sri Lanka after they conceded a first innings lead of 86 to the tourists, Sport24 reported.
The match was interrupted several times due to rain and bad light. Both sides will also play against each other in Galle and Colombo as part of three-Test series.
