McDonald backs Australia's review calls despite errors

Australia coach Andrew McDonald on Sunday said he was "pleased" with the team's process of taking umpire reviews despite exhausting them ahead of a key call in the second Sri Lanka Test.

Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal stood unbeaten on 118 to steer the hosts to a crucial first innings lead on day three, but only after surviving a reprieve on 30 in Galle.

Mitchell Starc had Chandimal caught behind only for the umpire to deny the call, but ultra-edge showed a spike when the ball passed the bat.

Australia were left frustrated as they had burned their three DRS calls, and Chandimal went on to tire out the bowlers.

"There was enough evidence to suggest they were close," McDonald said on the reviews taken.

"Like anything the umpires are sometimes unsure and we're sometimes unsure. That happens and that played out on the back of us using our reviews.

"No one's perfect and you're not always going to get them right. But the process we went through is the most important thing for us and we'll continue to go through those processes to make those decisions."

The tourists used up one on Saturday's day two, and lost a couple in the space of three overs on Sunday morning.

One of Nathan Lyon's lbw appeals to Angelo Mathews looked tight but a review to check Chandimal's push -- off the pad -- down to silly mid-off seemed wasteful, but McDonald said he was happy with skipper Pat Cummins' decision-making.

"I was pleased with the discussion as to (how) they are arrived with their decision through the process," said McDonald.

"There's errors in the game everywhere, we made a couple today. That's the way it goes."

Sri Lanka finished the day on 431 for six in reply to Australia's 364, lead of 67, but McDonald said the tourists are still in the game.

"So it's really about minimising that lead to around 100 runs or so, that puts us right back in the game and then we can go about setting Sri Lanka something to chase on the fifth day," said the coach.

"So positive that we're still in this game."

Australia lead the series 1-0 after their crushing opening win inside three days at the same venue.