Australia need just five wickets to claim victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Needing an improbable 379 for victory, Sri Lanka limped to 5-120 at stumps on day three and appear destined for defeat with Australia hoping to go 1-0 up in the three-game series on Saturday.
If Sri Lanka somehow make the victory target they would break several records to get there.
Not only would the score be the highest successful run chase in Galle, or even simply the highest fourth innings total at the venue, but it would eclipse Sri Lanka's previous highest successful run chase of 9-352 against South Africa in 2006.
The most likely scenario however is Australia's dominance in this match being rewarded with a comprehensive win.
Queensland's Ryan Harris (3-24) claimed three wickets as Sri Lanka's top-order batting failed to make an impression for the second time in the match.
Harris removed opener Tharanga Paranavitana (0) with the first ball of the innings and could have had two in two after a very good LBW shout against Kumar Sangakkara was turned down with the following delivery.
The burly right-arm quick then dismissed out-of-sorts Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan for 12 before returning late in the day to remove Prasanna Jayawardene for nought to give the Sri Lanka wicketkeeper an unwanted pair.
Mitchell Johnson (1-20) and Shane Watson (1-14) also chipped in with a wicket each as Australia took complete control of the game.
It was a tougher day in Test cricket for debutant Nathan Lyon after his 5-34 on Thursday, going for 0-41, even conceding three boundaries in one over as Mahela Jayawardene (57no) became the first Sri Lankan to pass 50 in the match.
There was also the rare sight at the end of the day of Ricky Ponting (0-5) bowling two overs of off-spin as Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews (32no) halted the Australian charge with a 50-run partnership before bad light ended play.
Earlier Australia resumed their innings following a two-hour rain delay at the start of the day, adding 95 to their overnight score before being dismissed for 210.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (5-79) led the way for the Sri Lankans with the ball while Michael Clarke's 60, made on Thursday, was the highest-score for Australia.
Usman Khawaja (26) and Harris (23) put on 40 runs for the eighth wicket in a valuable stand before Khawaja was trapped LBW by Chanaka Welegedara, who had figures of 3.1 overs, three maidens, two wickets for no runs at that stage.
Harris' cameo came to an end when he offered Herath a simple caught and bowled for the Sri Lankan left-arm spinner to claim his fifth Test match five-wicket haul.
Debutants Trent Copeland (23no) and Nathan Lyon (13) put on 32 in quick time for the last wicket before Lyon was caught trying to loft Dilshan down the ground.
Day four is scheduled to begin at 10am local time 
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