Openers David Warner and Shaun Marsh gave Australia some hope of a consolation win with a brisk start in the morning session but once their partnership was broken, the visitors suffered a rapid collapse.
Advertisement
Silva was unbeaten on 32 with skipper Angelo Mathews on four at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
It wasn’t all good news for the Sri Lankans though, losing their nightwatchman in the first over of the innings with just 15 minutes left in the day.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who claimed four wickets, trapped Chandimal leg-before for 43 in the final session.
For Australian team an old truth about turning tracks that ” the one that doesn’t turn that brings with it danger” prooved right as it lost nine matches on subcontinent soil.
The contest is evenly poised with Australia holding on to a two-run lead coming into Day 4 of the Third Test against Sri Lanka.
“Our plans haven’t worked as individuals or as a collective group, we haven’t been able to put Sri Lanka under as much pressure as we would have liked”, he added.
De Silva and Chandimal, who scored 194 and 175 runs in the match respectively – had to absorb vast pressure (that of falling wickets) in both innings.
Silva stuck around for most of the day thereafter, before he was eventually caught at slip to a vicious turning delivery from Jon Holland, which underlined the assistance in the wicket for the slow bowlers.
Herath was unsurprisingly the highest impact bowler.
Sri Lanka’s three comfortable victories came in a flurry after they had beaten Australia only once – in 1999 – in 33 years before this tour.
Kaushal Silva’s (115, 10×4) gritty knock played a big part in Sri Lanka registering their first series sweep against a major side since gaining Test status in 1981.
The One Day International series will begin on Sunday (21) at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo with the first of five games. He was fantastic with one leg.
Herath was the man of the match and also bagged the man of the series award for his 28 wickets in three matches.
“Well, there’s always people who are going to say something like that, but I don’t think it’s contrary to the spirit of cricket”, he said.
Advertisement
“It’s been a tough series”, Smith said.
