Sri Lanka vs Australia 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates

Welcome back for the second session of Day 3! The umpires and players punctually make their way out to the middle. Out walk the Sri Lankan opening pair of Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne. The Aussies take their respective fielding positions and it will be Mitchell Starc to kickoff the proceedings with the new ball. The umpire calls 'Let's Play' and off we go...

... DAY 3, SESSION 2 ...

Can Sri Lanka turn back the clock? Well, in 2016, we all know what Kusal Mendis did to the Aussies and Mitchell Starc in particular. Only, that was at a different venue. The Aussies are on top for the moment, but if the Lankans can bat through the day without losing too many wickets, they can erase this deficit and then, Sunday will be a totally different-ball game. The second session is scheduled to begin slightly earlier, around 7.05 am GMT.

At the pitch report, Russel Arnold blatantly said that Sri Lanka cannot survive on this pitch. One felt that was more out of frustration, coming from a passionate Sri Lankan fan, than from a genuine cricket expert. Yes, the pitch does look difficult to bat on and a deficit of 157 in the third innings is huge. But let's give you a few examples. An unbeaten 162 by Dinesh Chandimal against India in 2015. India had got a lead of 192 in their first innings. Still, lost by 63 runs. 130 from Matthew Hayden against Sri Lanka in 2004. Sri Lanka had got a lead of 161 in their first innings. Still lost by 197 runs. So it is not like batting is impossible in the third innings. It is just difficult and all in the mind.

We mentioned about Australia being disappointed and happy in the same breath. Why so? Disappointed understandable but happy because this definitely does not look like a 400-plus pitch. It is spitting, turning and plenty of puffs of dust keep getting seen almost every time the ball lands. Enough footmarks have been created which means there is already plenty of rough. Still, the Aussies, riding on two batters, have got a lead of 157. Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann would have watched the ball do its bit this morning and would not be too unhappy.

Opportunities come knocking at the door but you should know when they come. And when they come, you should not let them go by. Alex Carey did just that. Having batted predominantly at number 7 in his Test career, he got a chance to bat at number 5 in this innings, call it luck or misfortune, as Josh Inglis was not allowed to bat before a specific period of time. Batting at 7 means that you have got to be batting with the tail more often than not and hence, you are mostly either resurrecting the innings or going for some quick runs or shepherding the tail. But here, with Smith for company, Carey got enough chance to play a proper inning of Test cricket and he did not let the opportunity go by. He got his second Test ton and even got the highest individual score by an Aussie keeper not only in Sri Lanka, but the whole of Asia. Having got that in difficult conditions, this would do a lot to build his confidence in his Test career.

Smith got a good score but cannot be termed as entirely efficient as he looked scratchy for the first half of his innings and got a lot of luck. He could have easily been dismissed multiple times probably in single digits or in the 20s and the whole match scenario would have been different. But that's what happens when you are in a purple patch. 3 centuries in 7 innings prior to this in Tests and that purple patch brought along a lot of luck for Smudge. He made full use of that, not letting the bowlers settle and stamped his authority as one of the best batters in recent times in Asia, scoring his 7th Test ton in the subcontinent.

Australia will be disappointed and happy in the same breath. Disappointed because at 330/3 overnight, they would have expected to get at least 450 in their first innings. Unfortunately for them, the middle order just got blown away, save for Beau Webster, who impressed everyone with his composure in difficult conditions. The hard was done by Steven Smith and Alex Carey, with twin centuries and a massive 259-run stand. But apart from that, say, a patient knock from Usman Khawaja at the top, this innings mirrors the one by Sri Lanka and that's where the big numbers show the stark difference.

When you come to Galle, beware of the 'Galle'dozer. 18 innings with the ball in Tests here and 9 of them have resulted in 5-fors. 79 of his 115 Test wickets have come at this venue at an average of 23.93 and a strike rate of 47.4. That means, he roughly takes a wicket here every 8 overs. And normally, once he takes one, he takes the rest pretty quickly. It was a bit of a difficult ask this time, as after taking the first one in his first over, he had to wait for a long time for his second. But once he got that second, he just dozed the Aussies away. He was well supported by Nishan Peiris, who bounced back well after a difficult opening Test. And towards the end, Ramesh Mendis got a couple for his efforts, with the scorecard not doing justification to his hard work.

Exactly what we were talking about last evening. If you don't believe, you can never achieve. Sri Lanka looked down and out for a major part of Friday but came out all guns blazing this morning and the wicket of Steven Smith looked to just catapult their self belief. Hard to answer as to why couldn't the Lankans do this on Friday and the only answer we can come up with is lack of patience as Dhananjaya de Silva became defensive with his field settings way too early. But not on Saturday. That's what a wicket can do.

Talk about self belief. And Sri Lanka have finally showed up in this Test match with the ball. 7/84 in 26.4 overs, with the spinners finally landing the ball in the right areas. It was actually, doing the regular stuff, but only for a longer period of time. Once they got the wicket of Smith this morning, they just blew the other batters away.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! That's it! Sri Lanka have managed to wrap Australia in this first session of the third day! They have made the second new ball count! Seeing Matthew Kuhnemann dancing down the track, Ramesh Mendis smartly drags his length and lands the ball fuller than a good length, in front of the sticks, Matthew Kuhnemann goes through the shot but misses as the ball lands and grips. Turns away a shy bit which is enough to beat the outside edge and goes on to crash into the stumps. Australia end their innings at 414, with a lead of 157 runs. And that will be LUNCH ON DAY 3!

Two slips in place now! Some turn around off and full in length, Matthew Kuhnemann safely defends it back to the bowler.

Flat and full, on middle, swept away by Lyon, in control to deep square leg for a single.

Ramesh keeps it fairly outside off, on a fuller length, Lyon misses to sweep it away.

On middle and full, Matthew Kuhnemann responds with a forward defence.

Just clears the bowler! Fuller and outside off, Matthew Kuhnemann lifts it over the bowler's head for a couple of runs. Jayasuriya leaps to get his hands on it but it passes well above and is mopped up by the fielder in the deep, around the long off region.

Very full, on the stumps, turning in. Matthew Kuhnemann defends it straight.

Full again, in front of the sticks. Lyon lunges forward to defend but the inside edge takes the ball rolling towards mid-wicket for a single.

Nice and full, kept out safely.