Matthew Hayden scored an unbeaten century and Shane Warne completed a five-wicket haul as Australia fought back strongly on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle in Sri Lanka.

Australia, who started their second innings 161 behind after bowling out Sri Lanka for 381, reached the close on Wednesday on 193 for two, 32 runs ahead, with Hayden on 106 and Damien Martyn on 10.

Hayden hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 174-ball innings, carrying the attack to Sri Lanka's slow bowlers on a crumbling Galle pitch.

The big left-hander added 91 for the first wicket with Justin Langer (32) and 84 for the second with skipper Ricky Ponting (28).

Leg spinner Warne had started the tourists' fightback in the first session, completing figures of five for 116 on his return to Test cricket following his drugs ban as Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for just 12 runs.

The hosts, who started the day on 352 for six, added just 29 runs in 90 minutes. Thilan Samaraweera was stranded on 36 not out at the end of the innings.

Warne extended his career tally to 496 wickets with his 24th five-wicket haul in Tests.

The 34-year-old was suspended for 12 months last year for taking a diuretic but was recalled to the national team after playing just one first-class match.

Australia had their backs to the wall when they started their second innings but Hayden and Langer survived the new ball and played Sri Lanka's slow bowlers confidently.

Left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya eventually broke through when he trapped Langer leg before wicket for 32 but fumbled a chance to run out Ponting, on 10, just before tea.

The miss proved costly as Ponting gave Hayden solid support.

Sri Lanka struck, though, before the close when the Australia captain was run out by Upul Chandana as Hayden tried to reach his 18th Test hundred with a quick single.

Earlier, Warne, who took two wickets on Tuesday, broke through midway through the morning when Chandana (27) edged a leg break to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, ending a 46-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Fellow leg spinner Stuart MacGill took his first wicket when Chaminda Vaas edged to Hayden at slip for a duck.

Warne polished off the tail, Kumar Dharmasena (6) also edging to slip and Muttiah Muralitharan chipping back a simple return catch for a duck.

Australia suffered a double injury set-back on Wednesday when fast bowler Brett Lee pulled out of the tour with an ankle injury and seamer Michael Kasprowicz sprained his shoulder. The tourists hope Kasprowicz will be able to bowl in Sri Lanka's second innings.

Scorecard

Australia first innings:
220 (D.Lehmann 63; M.Muralitharan 6-59)

Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 352-6)
M.Atapattu b Gillespie 47
S.Jayasuriya lbw b Warne 35
K.Sangakkara c & b Kasprowicz 22
M.Jayawardene c Hayden b Symonds 68
T.Dilshan c Langer b Kasprowicz 104
H.Tillakaratne lbw b Warne 33
T.Samaraweera not out 36
U.Chandana c Gilchrist b Warne 27
C.Vaas c Hayden b MacGill 0
K.Dharmasena c Hayden b Warne 6
M.Muralitharan c & b Warne 0

Extras (b-2 nb-1) 3

Total (all out, 136.4 overs) 381

Fall of wickets: 1-53 2-92 3-123 4-198 5-298 6-323 7-369 8-372 9-381

Bowling: Gillespie 28-9-61-1, Kasprowicz 23-3-56-2, Warne 42.4-9-116-5,
Symonds 19-3-68-1, MacGill 22-4-69-1, Lehmann 2-0-9-0

Australia second innings

J.Langer lbw b Jayasuriya 32
M.Hayden not out 106
R.Ponting run out 28
D.Martyn not out 10

Extras (b-9 lb-8) 17

Total (for two wickets, 67 overs) 193

Fall of wickets: 1-91 2-175

To bat: D.Lehmann, A.Symonds, A.Gilchrist, S.Warne, J.Gillespie,
M.Kasprowicz, S.MacGill.

Bowling: Vaas 14-2-29-0, Dharmasena 8-0-38-0, Muralitharan 22-3-60-0,
Dilshan 6-3-9-0, Jayasuriya 8-1-20-1, Chandana 9-1-20-0.