A tour of Sri Lanka which began with so much promise effectively ended in misery on Saturday when Australia tumbled to a 229-run defeat in the second Test, and ceded the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy.
Resuming day three on 3-25, chasing 413 to win, the tourists were spun out for 183 in 50.1 overs just after lunch, with off-spinner Dilruwan Perera claiming his first 10-wicket haul and the fourth five-wicket haul of his 11-Test career.
The Sri Lankans embraced in joy as they celebrated their first series win over Australia since 1999, and their heaviest defeat of Australia. That previous record had been the 106-run win in Kandy last week. It was also the first time they had taken possession of the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy, introduced in 2007-2008.
Much had rested in the morning with unbeaten pair David Warner and Steve Smith, the latter facing his first series loss as skipper, but neither was able to deliver the robust innings Australia craved. The wickets steadily tumbled from there, with Peter Nevill's run out capping off a disastrous match where the tourists lasted a combined 83.3 overs. It was the fifth-least number of deliveries they had faced in a loss since 1900.
"To get 200, I think we learned a little bit from the way we played in the second innings - a few sweep shots, reverse sweeps, guys using their feet a little bit. We still have a little bit of work to do," Smith said.
As coach Darren Lehmann stated post play on Friday, on a day when Australia had lost 11 wickets and had "not been of international standard" , the tourists had been publicly vocal in how they had wanted to handle the spinning conditions - but had been unable to execute mentally or technically.
What is particularly concerning, with a blue-chip tour of India to follow from February, is that the Australians have not improved on the sub-continent. Their defeat here was their eighth-straight Test loss in this region and, while this a different side to the one which lost 2-0 under Michael Clarke to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in 2014, on their last tour of Asia, little has improved.
"Results would say we haven't moved on, pretty simple. From my point of view, and us a group, we have to get better. We have got to stop the rot," Lehmann said.
"They know what they have to do. We have had lots of people that have played on the sub-continent help us out, and successful players. It's not as though they don't have the knowledge or the know how to do it. It's doing it on the ground under the pressure."
The batsmen have not handled this pressure, with Usman Khawaja (55 runs at 13.75) and Joe Burns (34 runs at 8.5) likely to be under major scrutiny heading into the third Test in Colombo, beginning on Saturday.
Reserve batsman Shaun Marsh is a fine player of spin, and will come into calculations to revive an indifferent 17-Test career which has produced a modest 1094 runs at 37.72. However, he has happy memories of Sri Lanka, plundering 240 runs at 80 in two Tests here five years ago.
He could replace Burns as an opener, or take Khawaja's spot at number three - positions he has held before. Burns fell to a catch at square leg off debutant paceman Vishwa Fernando for a duck in the first innings here, and was caught at short-cover driving spinner Rangana Herath in the second. Khawaja had the ignomy of being bowled twice in the one day to Perera.
His second innings golden duck came after he failed to offer a shot to a ball which did not turn, exposing the mental battle he is having.
Warner, as he had in his first innings of 42 off 41 balls, took the spinners on by getting down the wicket. In a match where the plans of Australia's batsmen have been questioned, Warner's was obvious - attack. He had crunched seven boundaries as he and Smith put on 50, but the resistance ended there. Warner took a big defensive stride to Perera but a quicker, flatter delivery from the off-spinner, even after a review, was ruled to be hitting the stumps. After the disappointment of Kandy, Warner, at least, had appeared more at ease here.
Smith did not last much longer, as Perera again found himself in the action, this time when the skipper popped up a catch to backward short leg. Umpire Chris Gaffaney had initially ruled this not out but replays found the ball had tickled Smith's glove.
Mitch Marsh, too, was on the wrong end of a review, when he padded up to left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan and was rapped on the back thigh. Given not out, the locals called for a review, and the sharp turning leg-spinner which pitched wide was deemed to be hitting leg stump.
The tourists could not take a trick. There was no such doubt when Adam Voges shaped down the wrong line and was bowled behind his legs attempting a reverse sweep off Perera, leaving the him with a modest series average of 23.
(The Sydney Morning Herald)
