Adam Gilchrist smashed an unbeaten 140 as Australia fought back strongly to reach 221 for two at the close of the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Gilchrist added 195 for the third wicket with Damien Martyn to give Australia a lead of 130 runs after they had trailed by 91 on first innings and then slumped to 26 for two.Gilchrist, who scored just four runs in his first three innings of the series, rediscovered his touch after being promoted up the order because of a back injury to captain Ricky Ponting. Martyn, missed at second slip before he had scored, provided patient support with an unbeaten 64 as Sri Lanka’s bowlers toiled on a pitch that had lost its early venom.The pair came together after Matthew Hayden (5) chipped back a return catch off bat and pad first ball after lunch and Justin Langer (9) nicked a catch behind. Gilchrist cracked three sixes and 19 fours in his 175-ball knock, his 10th test hundred, while Martyn stroked eight boundaries. The partnership was Australia’s highest third-wicket stand against Sri Lanka, surpassing the 158 scored by Tom Moody and Allan Border in Brisbane in 1989-90.Earlier, Chaminda Vaas struck an aggressive 68 not out as the hosts recovered from their shaky overnight position of 92 for seven to finish on 211 in reply to Australia’s 120. Vaas frustrated Australia as he added a record 79 runs for the last wicket with Muttiah Muralitharan, who clubbed an entertaining 43 from 28 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. Meanwhile, Australian captain Ricky Ponting hobbled off the field in the morning session after spraining his back when his spikes caught in a sponsor’s advertising mat. The freak accident kept Ponting out of action for a longish period, meaning he couldn’t bat at his usual No 3 spot.Brief ScoresAustralia: 120 and 221-2 (A Gilchrist 140 n.o., D Martyn 64 n.o.; N Zoysa 1/35, C Vaas 1/55) vs Sri Lanka: 211 (C Vaas 68 n.o., M Muralitharan 43; S Warne 5/65, M Kasprowicz 4/83)
