Srilanka forced to follow on ..

Sri Lanka will resume day four of the first 3 mobile Test in Brisbane still a daunting 260 runs behind Australia after reaching stumps at 2-80.

The tourists were earlier invited to follow-on by captain Ricky Ponting after being skittled for 211 in their first innings on a supposedly ideal batting pitch which saw Australia lose just four wickets in more than five sessions over days one and two.

The damage was done by frugal spearhead Brett Lee, who led the new-look pace attack impressively and finished with 4-26 from the best part of 18 overs. Half of those were maidens.

Lee than added the adventurous Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's veteran opener, for 39 as shadows cloaked the Gabba. For Sri Lanka it was a bitter blow.

Debutant Mitchell Johnson returned 2-49 while club-mate Andrew Symonds, another making his first Test appearance at his home ground, also captured opener Marvan Atapattu for 16 in Sri Lanka's follow-up effort.

It was the second dismissal in as many sessions for Sri Lanka's former captain who had been brought back into the squad by government intervention to the surprise of coach Trevor Bayliss,

Indeed, Atapattu ended up batting for a large part of the day after his defiant half-century in the first innings kept the hosts at bay. He eventually fell before tea to Johnson, who had adjusted his length after a series of short-pitched deliveries in the morning session.

The left-arm quick earlier enjoyed a variable morning in the hunt for his maiden Test wicket before poaching Thilan Samaraweera when he was squared up expertly to provide Adam Gilchrist a regulation catch. Gilchrist finished day three with five dismissals, just nine behind Australia's record holder Ian Healy.

Stuart Clark (2-46) encouraged captain Mahela Jayawardene into playing tentatively forward in his first over of the day with a catch tickling through to Gilchrist and also wore down Chamara Silva after a dashing recovery came to an inopportune close just before lunch.

Silva, Clark's 50th Test victim, was dropped by Gilchrist on 12 and by Michael Clarke at square leg on 20. After such good fortune, he would have been disappointed not to make it to lunch after falling into a carefully laid trap by slashing to deep backwards square for a flamboyant 40.

Lee, who had knocked over Jayasuriya and promoted number three Michael Vandort in Friday's evening session, finished proceedings by nailing Prasanna Jayawardene, the baby-faced wicketkeeper, leg before for 37 and Dilhara Fernando for seven.

He finished day three with match figures of 5-52 with the prospect of more on Sunday.