Australia's fourth-innings dilemma

The big question at Kandy, as Australia's batsmen sailed into the lead on the second evening, was just how big a lead would be big enough. This pitch is not nearly as bad as both sets of batsmen, facing slightly juicy conditions, made it look on the first day.

By the end of the second, the Australians were batting commandingly - Adam Gilchrist booming sixes and Damien Martyn carefully stockpiling like a squirrel in autumn. The wicket looked docile. There are precedents here: England, led by Michael Vaughan, batted four sessions in reasonable comfort for a draw here in December 2003. And in January 2004, a Sri Lankan provincial side were set 512 to win and got them - the highest successful fourth-innings chase in first-class history. As things look at the moment, any target under 300 looks vulnerable. Australia have to bat for some time yet.

Seventeen wickets fell on the first day. But it was a failure of batting not a failure of groundsmanship. The Asgiriya ground, set in the mountainous central highlands of Sri Lanka, is one of the island's greenest, and the pitch sweated under the covers before the game. The quicker bowlers got found swing and occasionally the ball gripped on the pitch. But it was not the sort of jagging, vicious movement that reduces batting to a riot of hopeful prods and fends. There was less help for seamers than on a dewy early-summer morning in England.

Instead Australia, all out for 120, batted badly, or at least took too long to adjust to conditions. It is very easy to call their batting commanding when it goes right and reckless when it goes wrong. But no one really showed the patience needed. Andrew Symonds slashed outside off stump, Darren Lehmann had his leg stump knocked back wandering too far across his crease, and both Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting padded up to good balls. And, contrary to recent custom, umpires started giving lbws. All of Australia's top four fell this way: none could have much complaint.

Chaminda Vaas bowled like a seasoned county-circuit grafter, keeping the ball well up to the bat, hitting the spot and throwing in a few occasional cutters. He has taken 229 Test wickets at just over 30, generally on unrewarding pitches. In more favourable conditions England's feted Darren Gough took 229 at 28.39. Too often Vaas's efforts have been lost in Murali's shadow. Here, his fellow left armer, Nuwan Zoysa, bowled less well for greater reward.

Sri Lanka's batting was hardly better than Australia's. It took a last-wicket stand of 79 (a national record) between Vaas (who played genuine cricket shots) and Murali (who'd obviously been watching plenty of golf and tennis) to take them into a 91-run lead.

But after the first day, Sri Lanka's coach John Dyson chose to lambast the media rather than his batsmen. "Today was a lively wicket ... it's the plain truth and it's as plain as that nose", he said, pointing to his own face. Anyone who has spent much time at Derby or seen some of the zestier New Zealand wickets would disagree. And, as Gilchrist and Martyn pushed on this evening, the pitch just seemed to be getting flatter. Australia should take a big lead tomorrow but it is difficult to know whether they will find safety in numbers.