The day belonged to Silva who, after scores of 4,7,5,2 and 0 in the last five innings, cover-drove an Adam Voges full toss to bring up his third test fifty in 251 balls.
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Kusal Mendis hit two sixes off Lyon but Mitchell Starc dismissed him leg before with a searing full length delivery to claim his 24th wicket in an otherwise spinner-dominated series.
Rangana Herath took six wickets for his 25th five-wicket haul in test cricket as Australia slumped from 267-1 to 379 all out in their first innings on the third day of the third and final test against Sri Lanka on Monday.
Silva, 30, mixed dogged defence and controlled aggression, putting together a crucial 90-run partnership with Dinesh Chandimal, also a first-innings century-maker, to thwart the Australian attack.
Six overs after taking the second new ball, Jon Holland (2-72) struck with the wicket of Silva. Addressing a media briefing held in Colombo last evening the Sri Lankan coach said the enormous talent shown by young players within a shorter period should be praised by all.
And if you have got the old man throwing like that, then yougsters have no excuses.
Medium-pacer Suranga Lakmal struck with the second new ball in the second session to get the wicket of Marsh and break the unsafe partnership.
Perera, who scored 24, was undone by a side angle replay after a front-on view had been inconclusive and the third umpire overturned the decision. Australia’s problems seem aplenty with two of their strike bowlers being among the wicket-takers, but not failing to keep the opposition batsmen in check.
The partnership between Smith and Marsh was the highest second-wicket stand in Tests between the two countries and the pair ensured that Australia did not lose a wicket in the first session to go to lunch on 235 for 1. Marsh, who was drafted into the Australia side because of his long experience of Asian conditions, survived a dropped catch on 67 early in the morning against Herath but soon took control.
Marsh was the first to get to his hundred, his fourth in Tests, with a paddle sweep off Dilruwan Perera that went to the boundary. It’s great to be back playing Test cricket for Australia.
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Herath, who took ten wickets in the first Test and a hat-trick in the second, both of which his team won, was again the key as Sri Lanka fought back, returning 6 for 81.
