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Sri Lanka beat Australia in Galle to win Test series

Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera bagged six wickets to fashion Sri Lanka’s historic series win over Australia on Saturday as the world number one side suffered a humiliating 229-run loss inside three days

Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera bagged six wickets to fashion Sri Lanka’s historic series win over Australia on Saturday as the world number one side suffered a humiliating 229-run loss inside three days in the second Test in Galle.

Australia, chasing a challenging 413 for victory, were bundled out for 183 after lunch as Sri Lanka, who won their last series against the visitors in 1999, took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match rubber.

Veteran spinner Rangana Herath set up the win for the hosts with his maiden Test hat-trick which helped dismiss Australia for a record low of 106 in their first innings.

Australia faltered in their second outing as well after Perera, who registered his career-best figures of 6/70, sent the visitors packing in just 50.1 overs as the Sri Lankan players went into a celebratory huddle.

Overnight batsmen David Warner and skipper Steven Smith offered some resistance with their 51-run fourth wicket partnership but both of them fell to Perera’s guile.

Warner, who tried to counter attack during his 31-ball 41, was trapped lbw off a straighter Perera delivery that hit the batsman on the front pad.

Smith (30), who used his feet well against the spinners during his 58-ball stay, was the next to go as he gave away a catch at backward short leg.

Perera, who also took two wickets on Friday, then bowled Adam Voges for 28 to register his fourth five-wicket haul in 11 Test matches.

But it was Herath’s left-arm spin that did the early damage in a match dominated by Sri Lankan slow bowlers.

Herath and Perera shared four wickets between them on a chaotic second day which saw the fall of 21 wickets and put the match on the fast track. Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc though made his presence felt on a track that offered little help to the fast bowlers with his career-best match figures of 11/94. Sri Lanka won the first Test at Pallekele by 106 runs.

Scoreboard Sri Lanka (1st innings): 281 Australia (1st innings): 106 Sri Lanka (2nd innings): 237 Australia (2nd innings, o/n 25/3): D. Warner lbw b MDK Perera 41, J. Burns c de Silva b Herath 2, N. Lyon c Silva b Perera 0, U. Khawaja b Perera 0, S. Smith c Silva b Perera 30, A. Voges b Perera 28, M. Marsh lbw b Sandakan 18, P. Nevill run out (Mendis) 24, M. Starc b Herath 26, J. Hazlewood c&b MDK Perera 7, J. Holland (not out) 0. Extras: (lb 7) 7. Total: (in 50.1 overs) 183. FoW: 1-3, 2-10, 3-10, 4-61, 5-80, 6-119, 7-123, 8-164, 9-181. Bowling: Herath 19.1-1-74-2, Perera 23-5-70-6, Sandakan 6-1-30-1, de Silva 2-0-2-0.

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