Set an improbable victory target on a final day track, Australia needed a good start and the tourists got that from David Warner and Shaun Marsh who raised 77 runs, the highest opening partnership in the low-scoring series.
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Perera dismissed Marsh for 23 when the batsman defended a delivery and Kusal Mendis thrust out his hands at forward short leg to parry the ball and twisted his body backwards to complete a stunning catch.
However, if Virat Kohli’s men failed to win the match at Port-of-Spain, it will be Pakistan who will become the top Test rank side in the world for the first time since the ICC introduced an official rankings system in 2003.
They need to produce a record-breaking sub-continental run chase for an unlikely victory after Angelo Mathews declared early on Wednesday at 8-347 in their second innings.
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc changed his bowling boots in between overs and several lengthy team discussions were held on the pitch, prompting Mathews to call his batsmen back in the pavilion.
Sri Lanka were reduced to 26 for 5 in their first innings, before Dinesh Chandimal and de Silva put on 213-run stand for the sixth wicket.
The teams now play five One-Day Internationals with the first of those games on August 21, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The 38-year-old Herath took seven for 64 in Australia’s second innings of the third and final Test, finishing with 13 wickets in the match, to confirm his status as the outstanding player of the series.
It’s been a remarkable series for the diminutive Sri Lankan left-arm spinner.
His haul was even more remarkable given that he had to retire hurt while batting in Sri Lanka’s first innings at Sinhalese Sports Club after being struck in the groin after having made a gritty 33.
“He couldn’t run and he couldn’t jump”.
“They swept well, they used their feet well, so a lot of credit should go to their batsmen”.
Herath was the man of the match and also bagged the man of the series award for his 28 wickets in three matches.
“Whitewash over the No 1 Test team, one of the greatest Test series wins. proud of the boys, Congratulations #SLvAUS”, Jayasuriya, who was at SSC to savour the historis win, tweeted.
“We should be reasonably embarrassed by our performance in this series, and that’s okay”, he said.
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“Very unfair, the ball didn’t beat the bat, he wasn’t beaten by much, just a little bit”.
