AFP, COLOMBO: Australia lost their crown as the kings of Test cricket Wednesday after another devastating burst of spin bowling from the veteran Rangana Herath helped Sri Lanka clinch an historic series whitewash.
Set a formidable target of 324 in their second innings of the third and final Test, Australia collapsed were all out for just 160 as Herath took seven for 64 at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo.
It was the third time in a row that the Australians had lost all of their Tests in away series against teams from the sub-continent and allowed India to regain the number one slot in the world rankings.
And it was the first time that the hosts had ever recorded a clean sweep of a major cricketing nation since they gained Test status in 1981.
“It’s a hard one to grasp really, it’s been a very tough series again, that is the our third straight whitewash loss in the subcontinent,” a disappointed Australian skipper Steve Smith told reporters.
“Can’t fault the prep, got here early, worked as hard as we can. Think Sri Lanka have played some great cricket, (it’s) disappointing but a great learning curve.”
Openers David Warner and Shaun Marsh briefly raised Australian hopes of a consolation win as they made a brisk start to their chase before their partnership was broken just before lunch with the score on 77.
Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera’s dismissal of Marsh, who scored a century in the first innings in Colombo, was the cue for a dramatic collapse by the Australians who lost their last nine wickets for just 60 runs. The destroyer-in-chief was Herath who, having claimed six wickets in the first innings, was again close to unplayable at times.
Smith was his first victim and he then snared Adam Voges in the same over. Warner, who had batted well for his 68 with six fours and a six, was Perera’s second big strike.