Sri Lanka suffer record-breaking defeat against Australia in 1st Test

Sri Lanka endured their heaviest defeat in Test cricket history on Saturday as Australia showcased their superiority, securing a commanding victory by an innings and 242 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

The contest was concluded before tea on day four, with rookie left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann producing a match-winning performance, returning career-best figures of 9-149 across both innings.

"We were put under pressure," admitted Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva. "The batters should have put up a better show."

Kuhnemann, who underwent surgery just two weeks ago on a broken right thumb sustained during the Big Bash League, battled through the match in pain, requiring regular medical attention. He was ably supported by the ever-reliable Nathan Lyon, who mesmerised the Sri Lankan batters to claim seven wickets in the match.

Before Saturday, Sri Lanka's worst defeat had come in Nagpur in 2017, where India triumphed by an innings and 239 runs.

Resuming their first innings on 136-5 overnight, Sri Lanka capitulated for just 165, losing their last five wickets for a mere nine runs. Forced to follow on with a daunting deficit of 489 runs, their batting frailties were once again exposed.

They lost three wickets before lunch and collapsed in the second session, a humbling outcome for a team once revered for its dominance on turning tracks.

Dinesh Chandimal fought a lone battle in the first innings, top-scoring with 72, and alongside Angelo Mathews, contributed to one of only two 50-plus partnerships in the second innings. However, Chandimal fell for 31 on the final ball before lunch, gloving Lyon to Travis Head at short leg.

Oshada Fernando, making his return to the side, struggled to make an impact, falling to a sharp inswinger from Mitchell Starc for six, following his seven-run effort in the first innings. Former captain Dimuth Karunaratne's poor run continued as he was dismissed for a duck by Todd Murphy.

Rain disrupted play on day three, forcing an early lunch before washing out the final two sessions. However, Australia had already stamped their authority on the game, declaring at a formidable 654-6 late on day two, courtesy of Usman Khawaja's career-best 232.

"Galle is a tough place to play cricket, and we are very happy with this win," Khawaja said. "I have played a lot of cricket in Sri Lanka, this being my fifth tour. I have made a lot of mistakes before, but I suppose all that experience came in handy in this game."

Stand-in captain Steve Smith also had a match to remember, becoming only the fourth Australian to surpass 10,000 runs in Test cricket with the first ball he faced. He went on to compile a masterful 141, while debutant wicketkeeper Josh Inglis marked the occasion with a century.

Galle will host the second and final Test of the series next week before the teams head to Colombo for a two-match ODI series.