Australia, 80 for three overnight, slumped to 98 for five in the morning but reclaimed the initiative when Langer and Simon Katich compiled a 218-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Sri Lanka, who had taken a six-run first innings lead on Friday after scoring 407 to Australia's 401, were left needing 370 to win in the final innings after Australia were bowled out for 375.

The home side survived five overs against the new ball to close on 18 without loss, with Marvan Atapattu unbeaten on five and Sanath Jayasuriya 13 not out.

Muttiah Muralitharan, locked in a race with Australia's leg spinner Shane Warne to beat Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket world record, extended his career tally to 513 wickets, taking three for 93.

Warne is also on 513 and will have an outside chance of breaking the record on the final day on Sunday.

Sri Lanka's highest successful run chase was the 326 for five they scored against Zimbabwe at the same venue in February 1998.

NEW-FOUND FORM

Langer threw off the distraction of a disciplinary inquiry the previous evening, in which he was cleared of bringing the game into disrepute, to rediscover his batting form after a lean series.

The 33-year-old was dogged by painful leg cramps during a six-and-three-quarter-hour innings that spanned 295 balls and included 14 fours and two sixes.

Katich, justifying his inclusion in place of all rounder Andrew Symonds, provided a patient and solid ally, battling hard for his 86 from 214 balls.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was Sri Lanka's most successful bowler, claiming a career best four for 92 from 24.2 overs.

Sri Lanka started the morning with their two spinners and needed just three overs to break through when Damien Martyn (5) was pinned lbw by Herath.

Darren Lehmann (1), Australia's top scorer in the first innings with 153, lasted just three balls before being caught behind as he tried to cut an off break from Muralitharan to leave the tourists on 98 for five.

Langer, dropped on 29 at silly point, reacted positively to the early fall of wickets, carrying the attack to Sri Lanka's spinners and scoring 71 in just 90 balls to reach his 18th Test century just before lunch.

The tempo of the innings slowed in the afternoon as Sri Lanka switched onto the defensive, employing run-saving 7-2 legside fields, and Australia scored just 79 runs in 28 overs.

Sri Lanka's fielding became increasingly ragged during the final session with a series of dropped catches before Langer played on to Vaas and Katich was trapped lbw by Muralitharan.

Australia lead 2-0 in the three-match series after wins in Galle and Kandy.

Scorecard

Australia first innings 401 (D.Lehmann 153, R.Ponting 92; M.Muralitharan 5-123)
Sri Lanka first innings 407 (M.Atapattu 118, H.Tillakaratne 74 not out, S.Jayasuriya 71)

Australia second innings (overnight 80-3)

J.Langer b Vaas 166
M.Hayden lbw b Vaas 28
R.Ponting c Samaraweera b Herath 20
J.Gillespie c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 1
D.Martyn lbw b Hearth 5
D.Lehmann c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 1
S.Katich lbw b Muralitharan 86
A.Gilchrist not out 31
S.Warne c Samaraweera b Herath 0
M.Kasprowicz run out 3
B.Williams c & b Herath 2

Extras (b-11 lb-11 nb-6 w-4) 32

Total (all out, 106.2 overs) 375

Fall of wickets: 1-40 2-79 3-80 4-89 5-98 6-316 7-341 8-346 9-368

Bowling: Vaas 21-3-61-2, Zoysa 12-0-54-0 (nb-1 w-3), Muralitharan 29-5-93-3 (nb-2), Herath 24.2-1-92-4, Samaraweera 15-4-40-0 (nb-3 w-1), Jayasuriya 4-0-13-0, Dilshan 1-1-0-0.

Sri Lanka second innings

M.Atapattu not out 5
S.Jayasuriya not out 13

Extras 0

Total (for no wicket, 5 overs) 18

To bat: K.Sangakkara, M.Jayawardene, T.Dilshan, H.Tillakaratne, T.Samaraweera, C.Vaas, N.Zoysa, R.Herath, M.Muralitharan

Bowling: Gillespie 2-1-6-0, Kasprowicz 2-1-12-0, Warne 1-1-0-0