The tourists have been bamboozled by Sri Lanka’s three spinners over the past four weeks but second-innings century-maker Kaushal Silva was keen to point out after stumps on day four they weren’t ready to open the door for Australia.
Advertisement
It was the third time in a row that the Australians had lost all of their Tests in away series against teams from the subcontinent.
Set 324 to win with nearly a full day’s play, Australia reached 77 without loss in its second innings but the dismissal of opener Shaun Marsh at the stroke of lunch triggered a batting collapse to 160 all out in the middle session.
Set an unlikely 325 for victory early in the morning session, Australia initially looked on course to impress, with David Warner’s 94-ball 68 anchoring a stiff response before lunch.
“If we win the next match we will be the number one test team in the world and there can be nothing better than that”, Sharma told Indian cricket board television just before the rankings were updated.
Starc tried to counter-attack and picked off two boundaries and a six before miscuing a sweep, which keeper Kusal Perera called for but nearly collided with Dimuth Karunaratne before holding on to it. Starc was Australia’s third highest scorer with 23 runs.
Overnight batsman de Silva followed up his first innings century with an unbeaten 65.
Silva came into bat at No. 3 because of a finger injury that had required six stitches and pain killers and spent six hours at the crease, facing 269 deliveries and hitting 10 boundaries in a patient, watchful knock for 115 runs.
Australia has conceded its number-one ranking to India after Sri Lanka made a clean sweep of the three-Test series in Colombo today. With the talented Dhananjaya de Silva still at the crease, and the lead, a monumental 288 runs, Sri Lanka have complete control of proceedings.
Sri Lanka claimed opener Shaun Marsh after Australia made a brisk start to their mammoth 324-run chase on a tense final day of the third Test on Wednesday.
Both sides will now play in a five-match one-day series beginning on Sunday in Colombo.
Advertisement
Herath took seven for 64 as Australia folded against the challenge of Sri Lankan spin bowlers as expected, with Dilruwan Perera chipping in with two wickets.
