Australia hand Sri Lanka their worst ever Test defeat

Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest defeat in Test cricket history on Saturday as Australia flexed their muscles to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with a crushing victory by an innings and 242 runs.

- Agencies

GALLE: Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest defeat in Test cricket history on Saturday as Australia flexed their muscles to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with a crushing victory by an innings and 242 runs.

The contest was wrapped up before tea on day four, with rookie left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann's match-winning spell delivering him career-best figures of 9-149 over both innings.

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

Kuhnemann underwent surgery only two weeks ago on a broken right thumb sustained during the Big Bash League and battled through the match in pain, requiring constant medical attention.