The destructive blades of master blaster Andrew Symonds and captain Ricky Ponting propelled Australia to its highest one-day tally and a 167-run triumph over Sri Lanka at the SCG.

Needing victory to remain alive in the best-of-three series, Symonds (151 off 127 balls) and Ponting (124 off 127 balls) pulled the home side out of the abyss and left Sri Lanka with a mountain to climb as Australia posted 5-368 from 50 overs.

The tourists succumbed for just 201 in 36 overs in the second tri-series final with the decider to be played on Tuesday in Brisbane.

Australia had been in awful trouble early on as canny left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas had the hosts on the ropes at 3-10 after three overs before Ponting and Symonds' supreme rescue mission.

They belted 237 runs off 226 balls for the highest Australian stand in one-dayers, eclipsing Ponting and Damien Martyn's brilliant unbeaten stand of 234 at the 2003 World Cup final against India in Johannesburg.

Australia's total was nine more runs than its previous highest of 359 which was scored in that famous win in South Africa and in Sydney in 2003-04 - both times against India.

It was Ponting's 19th international one-day ton while Symonds was jubilant after securing his first one-day hundred on Australian soil.

The allrounder went on to make the highest one-day score at the SCG, needing three bats during his knock and running the Sri Lankans ragged.

The visitors turned in a sloppy fielding performance on the lightning-fast SCG outfield following their heroics in Friday night's 22-run win in the opening final in Adelaide.

Not even Muttiah Muralitharan could handle the Australian revival with the master spinner finishing with the bloated figures of 0-99 off 10 overs - the worst ten-over spell in one-day history.

Michael Clarke (54no off 28 balls) and Mike Hussey (23no off 8 balls) completed the misery for the tourists with an unbeaten stand of 48 runs in 18 balls.

Australian coach John Buchanan said there would be consequences if Australia lost the tri-series for the first time in four summers.

And the world champions looked to be staring right down the barrel after Vaas dismembered the Australian top order.

Vaas removed dangerman Adam Gilchrist (0) with the second ball of the innings but proved even more damaging in his second over.

He trapped besieged opener Simon Katich (1) in front with a fairly innocuous ball before free-swinging Damien Martyn (8) came and went in the same over.

But despite the predicament, Ponting played his shots from the outset and he and Symonds quickly changed the course of the match.

However the partnership did not pass without drama.

The controversy came with Ponting on 57, with Mahela Jayawardene claiming a diving catch at backward point off Ruchira Perera's bowling.

The Sri Lankans went up and celebrated the apparent downfall but Ponting refused to budge.

The Australian captain has longed campaigned for batsmen to support the honesty of fielders when it came to catches.

However he showed that he was not prepared to back Jayawardene's claims.

Umpires Peter Parker and Mark Benson discussed the Sri Lankan appeals for the catch but refused to contact the third umpire and ruled Ponting not out to the bemusement of the tourists.

Television replays showed the ball bounced just before Jayawardene's hands grasped the ball.

Russel Arnold (64no) and Mahela Jayawardene (50) offered the resistance for the tourists but the run chase was always well beyond them.

Vice captain Gilchrist was emphatic about Australia's revival.

"For the position we were in, it has got to be one of the greatest comebacks and most dominating wins ever," he said.

The wicketkeeper-batsman felt the team had shown its true colours under pressure.

"To be 3-10, to get our highest score ever is a testament to the character of the team and, particularly coming back after the momentum that we had given to Sri Lanka down in Adelaide, really, really pleasing."

The comprehensive victory has shifted the momentum in the series towards the home team and Ponting was upbeat about the third match.

"The series is beautifully placed going up to Brisbane, we have both won tosses on wickets where it mattered a little bit and we go up to Brisbane on a wicket where the toss won't matter," he said.

He felt the Gabba deck definitely favoured the Australian pace attack more than the tourists.

"I think it will suit us a lot more than the Sri Lankans with their spinners and the way they play their cricket, but cricket is a funny game," he said.

"But we have some confidence and I am sure we will be hard to beat."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP