Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann joined Matthew Hayden with second-innings centuries as Australia pressed for victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

The touring side, 161 runs behind after the first innings, amassed 512 for eight in a remarkable comeback before declaring shortly before the close on the fourth day.

Sri Lanka, needing 352 to win, ended on three without loss after leg spinner Shane Warne, needing four wickets to reach the 500-mark in Tests, opened the bowling.

Australia were dismissed for 220 in their first innings but opener Hayden transformed the game by attacking Sri Lanka's slow bowlers on his way to an 18th Test century, containing 12 fours and two sixes.

He rode his luck as he added 24 runs to his overnight score before being caught at slip as he swept at an off-break from Muttiah Muralitharan.

Martyn, his Test place under threat, then scored a patient 110, his first century for 25 months and the sixth of his career, and Lehmann plundered an aggressive 129, his fourth hundred in 16 Tests, after being dropped early on.

The pair shared a 206-run stand for the fourth wicket, surpassing the 163 run partnership compiled by Mark Taylor and Allan Border against Sri Lanka at Hobart in 1989/90.

Lehmann's hundred marked his return to the Australia team after an Achilles injury.

The 34-year-old left-hander carried the attack to Sri Lanka's spinners, using his feet well and sweeping powerfully as he hit 16 fours and one six.

Sri Lanka were left ruing a missed chance when Lehmann clipped his second ball straight to Tillakaratne Dilshan, at short leg, who was unable to cling on to a sharp catch.

Martyn's innings, which justified the faith placed upon him by Australia's selectors despite tough competition for places, was more subdued and rarely fluent. He hit 10 boundaries during a five-and-a-half hour stay.

The pair were finally separated when Martyn popped up a bat-pad catch to substitute fielder Kaushal Lokuarachchi midway through the final session.

Lehmann was then caught and bowled by Muralitharan to spark a late innings collapse, four wickets falling for eight runs as Australia searched for quick runs.

Australia had resumed on 193 for two. Muralitharan took five for 153 runs from 56 overs to finish with 10 wickets in a match for the 13th time in his career and match Warne's Test tally of 496.

Sri Lanka's highest successful run chase was in a five-wicket win against Zimbabwe in 1997/98 when they scored 326.

Sanath Jayasuriya was not able to open the Sri Lanka innings after splitting the webbing on his right hand as he fielded a drive off his own bowling just before lunch. The injury required one stitch.

Scoreboard

Australia (1st innings): 220

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 381

Australia (2nd innings): (overnight 193-2)
J.Langer lbw Jayasuriya 32
M.Hayden c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 130
R.Ponting run out 28
D.Martyn c sub b Muralitharan 110
D.Lehmann c & b Muralitharan 129
A.Symonds st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 24
A.Gilchrist lbw Chandana 0
S.Warne st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 0
J.Gillespie not out 11
M.Kasprowicz not out 3.

Extras: (b-15, lb-28, nb-2) 45.

Total: (for eight wickets, declared, 152 overs) 512

Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-175, 3-245, 4-451, 5-480, 6-498, 7-498, 8-498.

Did not bat: S.MacGill

Bowling: Vaas 27-3-67-0 (nb-2), Dharmasena 24-1-100-0, Muralitharan 56-9-153-5, Dilshan 6-3-9-0, Jayasuriya 14.3-2-38-1, Chandana 24.3-2-102-1.

Sri Lanka (2nd innings):
M.Atapattu not out 0
K.Sangakkara not out 3.

Extras: 0

Total: (for no wicket, 3 overs) 3

To bat: S.Jayasuriya, M.Jayawardene, H.Tillakeratne, T.Dilshan, U.Chandana, T.Samaraweera, K.Dharmasena, C.Vaas, M.Muralitharan.

Bowling: Warne 2-1-2-0, Gillespie 1-0-1-0.