Australia needs three wickets and Sri Lanka wants 51 runs on the final day of a gripping second cricket Test in Kandy.

The fourth day ended with the result in the balance - when bad light stopped play, Sri Lanka was seven for 301 in pursuit of 352.

Chaminda Vaas will resume on 30 and Kaushal Lokuarachchi on 13.

An Aussie win would crown a phenomenal fightback after they were dismissed for 120 in the first innings. Only 11 teams in history have made so few and gone on to win a Test.

If Sri Lanka win it will be only their second over Australia in more than 20 years of Test cricket and just five other teams have made more than 350 to win a Test batting last.

Sri Lanka's only win over Australia was at this ground five years ago.

One of those was the West Indies, who made 7-418 just under a year ago against this same Australian outfit.

Sri Lanka tried to sprint to victory with veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya slashing 131 runs off 145 balls to give his team a great chance at one of the best wins in their short history.

A lot will depend on Vaas, who made 68 not out in Sri Lanka's important first innings of 211, which gave them a first innings lead of 91.

Vaas looked untroubled by the Australian bowlers in the first innings and so far has looked composed after coming in with his team staring at defeat after captain Hashan Tillkakaratne fell with the score 6-239.

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