Matt Wade’s against-the-odds century has put Australia in a strong position to send Mike Hussey out a winner in his final Test.
Australia took a 138-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka after captain Michael Clarke made the strange decision to declare at 9-432 early on day three.
Sri Lanka openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dimuth Karunaratne survived to be 0-18 at lunch, needing 120 runs to make Australia bat again.
Wade looked certain to be left stranded well short of his second Test century, with No.11 Jackson Bird coming to the crease with the wicketkeeper still requiring 30 runs to bring up the milestone.
But a week after leaving Mitchell Johnson stranded in the 90s in the second Test, Bird (6no) played a fine support role as Wade hit the accelerator on his way to 102no.
Wade and Peter Siddle put on a crucial 77-run seventh wicket stand at the SCG.
Once Siddle (38) was caught behind off the bowling of paceman Nuwan Pradeep, Sri Lanka did well to clean up the next couple of wickets before Wade started to hit out and the tourists panicked.
Wicketkeeper Wade justified his promotion to No.6 and his ton – which included nine boundaries – could be crucial in the final wash-up, given he came to the crease with Australia four down and trailing Sri Lanka’s first innings 294 by 43 runs.
Wade brought up three figures with a blistering cut-shot that split two fielders and left them standing in wet cement.
The 25-year-old ran towards the Members Pavilion and leapt to the air as a full SCG crowd, draped in pink for Jane McGrath Day showed their appreciation.
It wasn’t exactly pretty from Wade and Siddle to start the day, with several mix-ups almost resulting in a third run-out for the innings.
But they threw the bat to add a handy 42 runs in the first hour before Siddle edged to Dinesh Chandimal behind the stumps.
Sri Lanka’s great hope Rangana Herath finished with 4-95 to provide an ominous warning about what he might be capable of in the fourth innings.
Sri Lanka will still consider themselves a chance of securing a first win in Australia, but their batsman must work hard.
Herath got rid of Mitchell Starc lbw and bowled Nathan Lyon at the death, to go with the prized scalps of Michael Clarke (50) and Phil Hughes (87) on day two.
David Warner was Australia’s other chief contributor making 85.
If Sri Lanka’s batsmen can set Australia a decent fourth innings’ target, then last year’s leading Test wicket-taker Herath could come into his own on a crumbling SCG pitch.