Justin Langer raises his fist in celebration of his century as he crosses path with opening partner Matthew Hayden on the first day of their second Test versus Sri Lanka in Cairns on Friday. Langer is unbeaten on 159, while Hayden scored 117. (AP)

Cairns: Openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden amassed their sixth double-century partnership to build an imposing platform for Australia to bat Sri Lanka out of the second Test on Friday.

It all went pear-shaped for the Sri Lankans from the time they sent Australia into bat and spent the opening day chasing leather around the Cazaly Stadium as the home side got off to a flying start.

Milestones came and went for the two left-handers with the Sri Lankans incapable of controlling the flow of runs in the second Test played at the picturesque north Queensland ground.

They put on their best stand in Tests of 255 before Hayden fell for 117 — his 19th century in 55 Tests — in the 65th over and moved above the legendary English opening pair of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe as the fifth most-prolific opening pair in Tests.

Langer was still there at the close of the first day with his 19th Test hundred in 76 Tests, 159 off 268 balls, with 22 fours. Damien Martyn had raised his 16th half-century to be unbeaten 56 and Australia were in full flow at 370 for two off 90 overs.

Australia had crushed Sri Lanka by 149 runs inside three days in the first Test in Darwin last week in their fourth consecutive victory over the Sri Lankans in four months.

In 58 innings since they came together at The Oval against England in August 2001, Langer and Hayden have accumulated 3,490 runs at an average of 60.17.

Only the crack West Indian pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (16) and Hobbs-Sutcliffe (15) have generated more century opening stands in Test cricket than the Australian duo’s 11.

But Langer and Hayden have more double century stands than any other combination in Test history. The avalanche of runs only added to the frustration of Sri Lankan skipper Maravan Atapattu, who sent the home side in and watched in dismay as his bowlers were spanked.

Atapattu puzzled when he chose not to use the searing pace of young tearaway Lasith Malinga until the 19th over of the innings, even preferring to call on the off-spin of Thilan Samaraweera as first change.

Nuwan Zoysa did not help his skipper’s game plan with a dreadful opening spell of three overs to concede 17 runs and forced Atapattu to take him out of the attack and introduce Samaraweera on a fast bowlers’ wicket.

Such innocuous was the attack that it came as no surprise when Hayden got himself out to a rank long-hop outside leg stump from Samaraweera and found a diving Sanath Jayasuriya at backward square-leg.

He batted for 275 minutes, faced 185 balls and hit 14 boundaries and two sixes.

Ricky Ponting, who missed the Darwin Test because of a family bereavement, was all-action in his 33 minutes at the crease smacking three fours before he fell to a catch by Atapattu in the covers off Malinga for 22, leaving the home side at 291 for two. Langer’s century came off an overthrow when Upul Chandana attempted to throw down the wicket from point only to give the little left-hander an extra run for his century.

(AFP)