Rain slowed Australia’s progress on day three of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

After the tourists dominated the first two days, Sri Lanka resumed on 44-3 and reached 136-5 at lunch before the weather wiped out the rest of the day.

Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc took the first of the two wickets to fall when Kamindu Mendis was caught down the leg side for 15.

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva then gifted Australia a second as he charged left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann and was stumped for 22.

That left the hosts 107-5 but a partnership of 29 between Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis took Sri Lanka to the interval, with former skipper Chandimal 63 not out.

The rain did stop before the scheduled close but the wet conditions meant the umpires abandoned the day.