Michael Clarke is on the verge of creating a personal milestone and a Sri Lankan millstone on day two of the Boxing Day Test.

Clarke needs just 36 more runs in this Test to surpass Ricky Ponting’s record for most runs by an Australian in a calendar year.

The Australian captain will resume at the MCG on Thursday unbeaten on 20, with his side 3-150 in reply to Sri Lanka’s paltry first innings 156.

And the 31-year-old could make Sri Lanka pay heavily for dropping him on five and give Australia complete control as they try to wrap up the three-Test series, having won the opener in Hobart last week.

Sri Lanka gifted both Clarke and Shane Watson, who also resumes on Thursday on 13, second chances after both were dropped late on day one.

Tillakaratne Dilshan grounded a difficult opportunity to remove Clarke, just before stand-in Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara failed to glove a diving chance to catch Watson.

Regular gloveman Prasanna Jayawardene broke his thumb while batting, and looks unlikely to keep wicket again in the match.

Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford admits the visitors’ poor day one, in which Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson’s four-wicket haul helped rout their batting, made for a difficult situation.

“Pretty clearly we’re back to playing catch-up unfortunately,” Ford said.

“We found ourselves doing that in the last Test … the first session’s going to be vital that we get in and bowl well and hopefully strike early.”

David Warner’s quickfire 62 off 46 balls gave Australia a flying start in their run chase, while Tasmanian paceman Jackson Bird took two wickets in his Test debut as Australia dominated the opening day.