The Japan Times - Australia on the brink of Sri Lanka series sweep

Resuming on 211-8 at the start of the fourth day, Sri Lanka's resistance lasted just 26 minutes, losing Kusal Mendis for 50 and Lahiru Kumara for nine.

Spinners Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann took four wickets each for Australia.

The duo spun a web around the hosts, making full use of a dust bowl tailor-made for turn.

Kuhnemann, playing just his fifth Test, upstaged the seasoned Lyon, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 16.

The left-arm spinner bowled impeccable line and length, a performance even more remarkable given that he had broken his right thumb just two weeks before the first Test.

Sri Lanka's fragile batting meant their fortunes rested heavily on Kusal Mendis, who had already played a fine hand in the first innings with an unbeaten 85 runs.

In the second innings, he carried on the fight, bringing up his half-century with a crisp punch through covers off Lyon.

However, the joy was short-lived.

Off the next ball, Mendis was done in by extra bounce, top-edging an attempted flick straight into the hands of Steve Smith.

The Australian skipper entered an elite club, becoming only the fifth player in Test history to complete 200 catches –- alongside Rahul Dravid, Joe Root, Mahela Jayawardene, and Jacques Kallis.

Australia celebrated a crushing victory in the first Test, with the innings and 242-run humiliation Sri Lanka's worst defeat in Test history.

Y.Hara--JT