The defending world champion Australians were closing in on a big win in Galle after enforcing the follow-on and reducing Sri Lanka to 75 for three in its second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the first cricket test on Saturday.

Dinesh Chandimal has scored an unbeaten 63 as Sri Lanka struggled to 136-5 at lunch on Day 3 in reply to Australia's imposing first innings of 654 in the first cricket test.

Steve Smith has been labelled a tactical “genius” by Australian spinner Matt Kuhnemann after the stand-in skipper helped set up the wicket of Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva on Friday.

Australia's Usman Khawaja struck a maiden double hundred and Josh Inglis got a century on his test debut against Sri Lanka to power the tourists to a mammoth 654 for six before they declared their first innings on day two of the opening test on Thursday.

Australia’s batters have feasted on Sri Lanka’s bowling, racking up milestones and dominance on a rain-curtailed opening day of the first test in Galle.

Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten half-century and persistent rain in Galle delayed Australia's push for victory in the opening test against Sri Lanka on Friday. Only a 27-over session was possible on day three with Sri Lanka losing two wickets and slumping to 136-5 before rain stopped play.

Sri Lanka is staring down the barrel at 44-3 after Australia achieved its largest ever total in Asia — 654-6 declared — on day two of the first test in Galle.