COLOMBO: Sri Lanka swept a test series 3-0 against Australia for the first time Wednesday, handing the tourists a 163-run defeat in the third test with spinner Rangana Herath bagging seven wickets in another 10-wicket match haul.
As well as losing the match and series, Australia also relinquished its status as the top-ranked test side, slipping to third.
Sri Lanka had beaten Australia in a test series only once before, in 1999 under Sanath Jayasuriya's captaincy.
Set 324 to win, 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.
Herath accounted for captain Steve Smith (8), Adam Voges (1), Mitchell Marsh (9), Peter Nevill (2), Mitchell Starc (23), Josh Hazlewood (0) and Nathan Lyon (12) to finish with 7-64.
After 6-81 in the first innings, it was Herath's seventh 10-wicket haul in a test with 13-145 overall.
The 38-year-old Herath was named man of the match — and man of the series — for his tally of 28 wickets
David Warner shrugged off a poor series to score 68 but that wasn't nearly enough to save Australia.
Earlier Wednesday, Sri Lanka resumed its second innings on 312-8 and declared less than five overs later at 347-8, setting Australia a daunting target on a final-day pitch.
Dhananjaya de Silva followed up his first innings maiden century with an unbeaten 65. He faced 74 balls and hit 10 boundaries to increase the scoring rate.
Kaushal Silva had anchored the innings with 115 after just 18 runs in his previous five test innings. Dinesh Chandimal supported the innings with 43.
Australian off spinner Nathan Lyon took 4-123 in 37 overs.
Sri Lanka scored 355 in its first innings and Australia made 379.
India is now the top-ranked test team but second-ranked Pakistan will go top if India fails to win the fourth test match against West Indies, starting Thursday in Trinidad.
Sri Lanka goes up one spot to No. 6.
BRIEF SCORES
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 355 (Dinesh Chandimal 132, Dhananjaya de Silva 129; Mitchell Starc 5-63, Nathan Lyon 3-110)
Australia 1st innings: 379 (Shaun Marsh 130, Steve Smith 119, Mitchell Marsh 53; Rangana Herath 6-81)
Sri Lanka 2nd Innings: 347-8 dec. (Kaushal Silva 115, Dhananjaya dde Silva 65 not out; Nathan Lyon 4-123)
Australia 2nd innings: 160 (David Warner 68, Rangana Herath 7-64)
Sri Lanka win by 163 runs.