Cricket - Chandimal completes ton to push Sri Lanka towards 300

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Dinesh Chandimal continued to thwart Australia with a patient hundred as Sri Lanka marched towards a strong first innings total on the second day of the third and final test on Sunday.

Chandimal continued Sri Lanka's incredible fightback after they were reduced to 26 for five on the first morning and took the hosts to 299-7 at lunch with his seventh test century.

At the interval, Sri Lanka, who have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, had added 85 runs for the loss of two wickets in the morning session with Chandimal unbeaten on 105 and Rangana Herath keeping him company on 14.

Dhananjaya de Silva (129) and Chandimal put paid to Australia's hopes of quick wickets after the resumption by extending their sixth-wicket stand to 211 before the overnight centurion became off-spinner Nathan Lyon's third victim.

Shaun Marsh, who had dropped De Silva on Saturday after the batsman had completed his maiden hundred, managed to hold on to the catch at forward short leg this time.

Dilruwan Perera (16) was the only other batsman to fall in the first session, giving left-arm spinner Jon Holland his first wicket of the innings as the batsman lofted a drive to Lyon at long on as he looked to up the tempo.

Chandimal was mostly watchful and concentrated hard during his knock but broke free to move into the 80s when he reverse swept Lyon for a superb six over the deep point boundary.

He turned Lyon for a single to square leg to complete his hundred off 281 balls, which he celebrated with a loud yell as he leapt in the air. He was then dropped by Australia captain Steven Smith off the very next delivery.

Chandimal and Herath have added 32 runs for the unbroken eighth wicket, deepening the frustration for Australia, who face the very real prospect of losing their top test ranking and suffering a 3-0 series sweep.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)