PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) Spinners Rangana Herath and Lakshan Sandakan took four wickets each as Sri Lanka dismissed Australia for 203 in its first innings on the second day of the first cricket test on Wednesday.
Looking to make up a first-innings deficit of 86 runs, Sri Lanka lost a wicket in the 14 balls it faced before rain interrupted play and early tea was taken with the hosts on 6-1.
Kusal Perera, promoted to open the batting in place of regular Dimuth Karunaratne, was trapped lbw by fast bowler Mitchell Starc for four.
Sri Lanka was been dismissed for 117 in its first innings.
Having bowled out opener Joe Burns for three runs on the first day, Herath continued his good form by claiming the prize wickets of captain Steve Smith (30) and Usman Khawaja (26) before snaring Peter Nevill (2) to finish with 4-49.
Sandakan clean bowled Mitchell Marsh for his first test wicket and had an impressive return of 4-58 from 21.2 overs on his debut.
Adam Voges top scored for Australia with a watchful 47 off 115 balls featuring only three boundaries.
On a difficult pitch, and with Australia resuming on the second morning at 66-2, Herath had Smith stumped and then trapped Khawaja lbw as Australia slipped to 70-4.
But Australia recovered thanks to 60-run partnership between Voges and Mitchell Marsh, which was broken when left-arm wrist spinner Sandakan bowled right-hander Marsh with a straighter delivery for 31.
Herath struck again shortly after by having Peter Nevill caught by Kusal Perera to leave Australia on 137-6.
Voges continued to defy Sri Lanka but his resistance ended when he was caught at slip by Kusal Mendis off seamer Nuwan Pradeep - who had removed opener David Warner for a duck on the first day - leaving the visitors on 160-7.
Sandakan cleaned up the tail, but met resistance from fellow spinner Nathan Lyon, who scored a breezy 17 before Sandakan got him lbw.
