Australia are five runs short of a series whitewash of Sri Lanka, with retiring champion Michael Hussey on track to steer them to a memorable victory on day four of the Sydney Test.
Hussey, likely playing his last day of international cricket after being snubbed from the one-day squad on Sunday, is unbeaten on 23 with Mitchell Johnson yet to score at tea following a nervy middle session that featured four Australian wickets.
Australia lost Phil Hughes (34), Michael Clarke (29), Ed Cowan (36) and first innings century-maker Matthew Wade (9) in the middle session before Hussey’s reliable hand lifted the hosts to 5-136 in their pursuit of the 141 runs required for victory.
Hughes’ exit left Australia in a vulnerable position at 2-45, but a 59-run third-wicket partnership between Clarke and Cowan set Australia’s chase back on track before the pair fell within two overs of each other.
It was a chase that started in the worst possible fashion with opener David Warner caught at second slip off Suranga Lakmal for a golden duck – conjuring memories of Australia’s Fanie de Villiers-inspired collapse in their 1994 Test loss to South Africa when chasing just 117.
The twin destroyers for Sri Lanka were Rangana Herath (3-44) and part-time offspinner Tillakaratne Dilshan (1-54), both of whom gave Clarke’s men plenty of headaches on a wearing fourth day SCG wicket.
Tipped to be Australia’s biggest threat in the fourth innings, Herath continually bamboozled Australian pair Cowan and Hughes and took just three overs to strike.
Herath grabbed his first with a successful challenge of an lbw appeal against Hughes.
Australia’s best player of spin, captain Clarke, split the field with a pinpoint cover drive to the boundary for his first scoring shot of the day.
Sri Lanka burnt their last remaining review in an attempt to remove the No.1-ranked batsman in the world, Clarke.
Clarke, then on 13, danced down the wicket and was struck on the pad by Herath.
He was given not out by umpire Tony Hill, and on review Hawkeye found the ball would’ve clipped leg stump – but not enough to justify reversing the decision.
Earlier, a brilliant unbeaten 62 to Sri Lankan youngster Dinesh Chandimal allowed the visitors to add 53 runs to their overnight total, setting the tricky target.
Chandimal added 41 with No.11 Nuwan Pradeep, who survived 24 balls for his nine runs, after both Rangana Herath (10) and Lakmal (0) folded cheaply in the face of a fearsome spell from paceman Johnson (3-34).
