COLOMBO, 28 March 2004 — Sri Lanka faced the prospect of their first whitewash at home after a magnificent century by Australian opener Justin Langer in the third and final Test here yesterday.
Sri Lanka, who have already the lost the first two matches, were 18 for no loss at stumps on the fourth day chasing a 370-run target. They have either to salvage a draw or win to prevent a maiden sweep in a home Test series.
The hosts faced a tall order, having never chased more than 326 in the fourth innings to win a Test.
Sanath Jayasuriya was batting on 13 with Marvan Atapattu (five).
Australia, trailing by six runs, were bowled out for 375 in their second innings. Langer overcame form and fitness problems to hammer a superb 166 for his 18th Test hundred and Simon Katich a solid 86 for his fourth half-century.
Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed three wickets to finish the series with 28. He now needs seven more to break West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh’s world record of 519.
Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne is better placed as he needs seven in the second innings of the match to break the world mark.
Langer and Katich put on 218 for the sixth wicket to shatter Sri Lanka’s hopes of restricting Australia to a modest total.
The day belonged to left-handed Langer who put his team in a winning position with his 295-ball knock, which included two sixes and 14 fours.
Langer, who had failed to make a half-century in the last five innings of the series, returned to form just when his team needed runs. Australia had slipped to 98-5 in the morning after resuming at 80-3.
He completed his hundred shortly before lunch and then suffered cramps in the first over after the break, needing on-field medical attention and then a runner in Matthew Hayden.
His first scoring stroke after the injury was a towering six off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, the most successful bowler with 4-92.
