Westerly winds blowing across Galle International Stadium helped Australia's bowlers before David Warner's breezy innings brought an end to the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
After Angelo Mathews won the toss and elected to bat on Thursday, Sri Lanka missed a chance to put Australia under pressure when they were bowled out for 281 midway through the third session.
In reply, Australia reached 2-54 as day-one honours were shared.
Despite losing opening partner Joe Burns to the second ball of the innings, Warner was in a hurry, going at better than a run a ball.
However, his dismissal for 42 off 41 balls, when he edged to Mathews at slip from offspinner Dilruwan Perera, meant the home side - after winning last week's first Test in Kandy - would take plenty of confidence into Friday with the wicket already taking considerable turn.
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Sri Lanka were cruising at 3-184 midway through the second session, but reverse swing and some handy spin contributed to Australia fighting back as they aimed to level the three-Test series in the southern coastal city.
Mitchell Starc started and finished the wicket-taking, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne with the first ball of the match and bowling Rangana Herath to end the innings around an hour after the tea break.
In between, the pivotal wicket of Kandy hero Kusal Mendis brought up Starc's 100th Test wicket, becoming the fourth Australian paceman to reach the milestone.
Starc's 5-44 was his fifth five-wicket haul.
There was also celebration for debutant Jon Holland, who claimed his first Test wicket when Dhanajaya de Silva tried to paddle a full toss behind square-leg and was trapped lbw for 37.
Westerly winds blowing across the stadium helped Australia claw their way back to get rid of Mendis (86), Mathews (54) and Kusal Perera (49).
With Australia struggling to make inroads in the second session and Sri Lanka scoring freely, Starc and fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood were helped by handy 25km/h winds blowing off the ocean.
Skipper Steve Smith had talked in the build-up about interim bowling coach Allan Donald tutoring the quicks on how effective swing with the older ball was for South Africa in 2014 at the same venue when Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel took 16 wickets between them in a 153-run victory.
And it eventuated to assist Starc get dangerman Mendis, caught behind by wicketkeeper Peter Nevill following a 67-run partnership off just 85 balls with Mathews.
Mitch Marsh (1-30) grabbed the crucial wicket of Mathews caught behind, while Nathan Lyon snared the much-needed breakthrough with a big-turning offie to dismiss Perera.
His edged to Smith at first slip for 49 to end a 109-run partnership.
Lyon (2-78) was introduced after 45 minutes and was able to get a bit of drift and spin, while Holland also turned a few sharply in his 1-64 off 15 overs.
