Australia need 185 on fifth day, SL seven wickets

Australia 203 and 83 for 3 (Smith 26*, Voges 9*) need another 185 runs to beat Sri Lanka 117 and 353 (Mendis 176, Starc 4-84)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia do not lose Tests to Sri Lanka. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom, for it has happened only once in the 33-year history between the two nations. It has not happened this century. But times change. There is every chance Sri Lanka will rewrite the conventions in 2016, for at stumps on day four they were in a powerful position, seven wickets from victory. Australia needed 185 runs, and runs were coming at glacial speed.

Day four was abridged, cut short at both ends. Rain delayed the start and bad light forced an early finish, so only 40.4 overs were bowled. But that was enough for Sri Lanka to set Australia 268 for victory, the kind of target that against quality spinners in Asian conditions would naturally lead to Australian nerves. And so it did. David Warner was so hypercharged that he danced down the pitch and was bowled by Rangana Herath in the second over.

Australia's top order decided that the quicker they could score the runs, the better. Usman Khawaja also took the attacking approach, until on 18 from 21 balls he missed an attempted sweep and was lbw to Dilruwan Perera. At 33 for 2, Australia decided a more reasoned method might be required. Steven Smith and Joe Burns slowed down a touch, though Sri Lanka's spinners did not let up on the pressure.

In particular, Australia's batsmen found Lakshan Sandakan harder to read than the Odyssey in the original Ancient Greek. His wrong'un clouded their minds, but it was his stock ball that brought his only wicket, when Burns played back to a big-turning wrist-spinner and was bowled for 29. Seven times in this Test Australian batsmen have passed 20, but none have yet gone on to a half-century.

Perera thought he had struck again when Adam Voges was adjudged lbw for a golden duck and asked half-heartedly for a review. There were surprised faces all round when replays showed the ball had turned enough that it would have missed leg stump, Voges' lengthy stride down the track saving him. It was a big moment - Australia would have been 64 for 4 had Voges been out.

By the time the umpires called bad light, the Australians were happy to get safely inside, Smith on 26 and Voges on 9, with the total on 83 for 3. After the early flurry, boundaries virtually ceased to be a consideration. Sixteen overs passed without one, before Voges finally latched on to a short ball from Sandakan and pulled it for four. At stumps, the partnership was worth 20, which felt like a steadying stand but only highlighted the value of Sri Lanka's lower-order runs.

At length, the morning's play began with Sri Lanka at 282 for 6. Yesterday's hero, Kusal Mendis, added only seven to his overnight total before he was caught behind off Mitchell Starc for 176, the only wicket to fall in an opening session that was limited to just 45 deliveries. Australia also had Herath lbw in that session, but a review found Josh Hazlewood's ball had pitched outside leg. Herath and Dilruwan Perera added 24 for the eighth wicket and Nuwan Pradeep later joined Herath for a 30-run tenth-wicket stand. They were runs of significant value, given the mental difference they would make to Australia's batsmen, set something closer to 300 than 200.

Australia's bowlers perhaps lost their way a little, trying too hard instead of simply aiming at the stumps. In the end that was the way Dilruwan Perera fell, lbw to Hazlewood for 12. Sandakan departed in somewhat comical fashion when he backed away against Mitchell Starc, who followed him with a shortish delivery that lobbed off the midriff and trickled onto the stumps.

Still Sri Lanka would not be cowed. Herath and Pradeep fought gamely and frustrated the bowlers into wide lines. Eventually on 35 Herath fell to a brilliant catch from a man who was not even in Australia's XI: 12th man Moises Henriques at cover hurled himself to his left to pull off a remarkable take that gave Hazlewood his second wicket.

Herath's Test career started with the very next match after Sri Lanka's historic win against Australia in Kandy in 1999. Seventeen years later, his tail-end runs gave them real hope of a second win in the same city. But that will be determined by how Australia handle his bowling - and that of his colleagues - on the final day.