Mahela Jayawardene batted bravely in his last match as Sri Lanka captain but Australia still have the tourists in a vulnerable position on the opening day of the third Test.
Rookie fast bowler Jackson Bird made an impressive start in his first Test in home-town Sydney – taking the first two wickets of the innings – with Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle also chipping in.
Jayawardene made 72 to help Sri Lanka to 4-169 at tea, but his country would have dearly loved the skipper to go on and make a big hundred.
The 35-year-old edged a simple catch to first slip off Starc, but not before the left-armer survived a close call on a front-foot no ball.
Wounded physically and mentally from their Boxing Day beating, Sri Lanka showed plenty of backbone in standing up to Australia’s four-pronged pace attack.
The tourists are without superstar Kumar Sangakkara, who had his hand broken by Mitchell Johnson in Melbourne, and with Angelo Mathews (0no) at the crease and Dinesh Chandimal to come, they’re still a chance of making Australia regret their decision to bowl first.
Sydney has long been regarded a bat-first wicket and Michael Clarke will be hoping the green-tinged pitch can continue to give something to his quartet of quicks who have toiled hard and been unlucky at times.
Jayawardene and Lahiru Thirimanne combined for an important 62-run stand for the third wicket after the skipper and Tillakaratne Dilshan had earlier put on 46.
Young batsman Thirimanne only joined the squad two days ago and showed great maturity to be 37 not out at tea.
Thirimanne’s mental toughness was tested from the get-go, when a decision referral was required to save him from a golden duck after he was caught on the pads by Bird.
Unwanted by NSW as a young fast bowler, Bird (2-29) has gone on to make a fist of Shield cricket with Tasmania and is doing the same two matches into his international career.
He has backed up his impressive debut in Melbourne last week and was desperately unlucky not to have a third by lunch in Sydney.
The 26-year-old had danger-man Dilshan caught behind for 34 in his second spell before lunch and he thought he had Thirimanne lbw on his very next ball which would have put him on a hat-trick.
Australia had the chance to put Sri Lanka to the sword early, after Dimuth Karunaratne fell cheaply to Bird, but Jayawardene was dropped in the slips by Mike Hussey early in his innings.
Retiring great Hussey was given a bowl before tea, much to the delight of the healthy crowd packed into the under-construction SCG.