Gilchrist has six appeal

Adam Gilchrist hit his 100th Test six © Getty Images

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Adam Gilchrist became the first batsman to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket as Australia once again posted a dominant total, of 542 for five, before declaring.

Gilchrist smashed a Muttiah Muralitharan delivery out of the Bellerive Oval in Hobart for the record before captain Ricky Ponting chose to declare as Australia passed the 500 mark for the second successive Test.

Sri Lanka survived a testing late mini-session to reach 30 without loss from 12 overs before bad light brought an end to play.

Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke had seen Australia past the 400 mark before Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist kept up the pressure on Sri Lanka, each recording half-centuries.

With Sri Lanka's task already difficult enough they were dealt a further blow at the start of the second day with the absence of Farveez Maharoof, who has a suspected stress fracture of the back.

The Australian batsmen were unforgiving as Clarke reeled off successive fours in the 15th over while Hussey hit the first six of the day off the final over before lunch.

Hussey was the first to fall in the afternoon, trapped lbw by a Dilhara Fernando yorker. The 32-year-old claimed his second successive century before being dismissed for 132.

Andrew Symonds joined Clarke in the middle before the latter was caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene off Lasith Malinga for 71.

Gilchrist joined the fray and he and Symonds continued to dominate the tourists, with Symonds 40 not out at tea and Gilchrist reaching his half-century before the break.

Soon after Symonds had passed 50, Ponting decided to declare with Gilchrist having compiled an unbeaten 67 from 77 balls.

Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson immediately put the pressure on and Michael Vandort was handed an escape when he was dropped by Ponting before he had a run to his name.

But bad light came to the rescue of Vandort (12 not out) and Marvan Atapattu (18no), with the openers surviving to end 512 runs behind at close of play.