Australia captain Michael Clarke helped set SriLanka a challenging victory target of 393 in the first test Monday beforeretiring hurt on day four in Hobart.
Australia declared its second innings at 278 despite losingthree middle-order wickets for 35 runs after lunch, before Clarke and MikeHussey accelerated the scoring rate with an aggressive 57 runs from 56 balls.
Clarke made 57 from 46 balls before walking off with ahamstring injury and Hussey smashed a 38-ball 31 before running out of partnersat the other end.
Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath finished with figures of5-96 to move ahead of England's Graeme Swann as test cricket's leading wickettaker for 2012. Herath has needed just nine tests for his 60 wickets, threefewer than Swann has played.
Sri Lanka must now hit its highest ever winning total if itis to record a first win from 11 attempts on Australian soil. The West Indiesmade the highest successful run chase against Australia with 417-8 at St.John's in 2003.
The Clarke-Hussey partnership has been crucial to bothAustralia innings at Bellerive Oval. The pair added 106 runs after comingtogether at a potentially tricky 198-4 in the first innings and the home sidecould not get going after lunch until they again joined forces.
Shane Watson stumbled to 5 from 17 balls before he wasstumped by Prasanna Jayawardene off the bowling of Herath and Phil Hughesfollowed for a sluggish 49-ball 16, bowled by Shaminda Eranga.
Matthew Wade was pushed up the order to No. 5 and at leasttried to push things along, but managed just 11 runs before he was caught byNuwan Kulasekara while slashing at Herath.
That made it 181-5 with time running out to set an imposingtotal until Clarke and Hussey showed their experience.
Clarke recorded his 24th half century to take his test totalfor 2012 to 1,489 runs, before heading back to the stands when on-fieldtreatment proved unsuccessful.
Hussey smashed the next ball for six and the tail keptwagging as the wickets tumbled. Ben Hilfenhaus came out to bat at last mandespite being unfit to bowl with a side strain, facing eight balls beforebecoming Herath's final victim for 0.