PALLEKELE : Sri Lanka put on a determined batting display, losing just
two wickets in their second innings against Australia on Sunday.Sri
Lanka, who were dismissed for 174 in the first innings, moved to 164-2
by tea on the fourth day of the second Test at the Pallekele
International Stadium.Former captains Kumar Sangakkara (35)
and Mahela Jayawardene (13) were together at the crease, with the hosts
only 73 runs behind with eight wickets in hand.Australia
captain Michael Clarke, worried over forecasts of bad weather for the
last two days of the match, had declared his team's first innings at an
overnight score of 411-7 Sri Lanka's openers Tillakaratne
Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana (55) put on 81 for the first wicket,
their best partnership of the series so far after stands of four, zero
and two in the previous three outings.Under bright skies they warded off the early threat from the Australian seamers on a good batting wicket.But Dilshan undid the good work just before lunch with a wild heave, soon after a five-minute stoppage due to bad light.The
captain, who looked settled in on 36, drove at a wide ball outside the
off-stump from seamer Ryan Harris but only managed to edge a catch to
Shane Watson at first slip.Paranavitana went on to compile
his eighth Test half century before falling to a controversial decision
by third umpire Aleem Dar.The left-hander played defensively
to Mike Hussey and the ball lodged in the gloves of wicket-keeper Brad
Haddin, who was the only one to appeal for a catch.When
umpire Tony Hill turned down the appeal, the Australians asked for --
and received -- a favourable review from Dar, even though television
replays proved inconclusive.The tourists are looking to
clinch the three-match series on their first Test tour of Sri Lanka
since 2004 after winning the opening contest in Galle by 125 runs.
