Australia win by five wickets to clinch series against Sri Lanka

Australia secured a whitewash over Sri Lanka in the three-match Test series as they beat the visitors by five wickets on the fourth Day of the third Test match at Sydney.



Australian pacers Jackson Bird and Mitchell Johnson picked up three wickets each to dismiss Sri Lanka for 278 in their second essay, with a lead of just 140 runs.

With 141 to get to clinch the series, the Australian batsmen went about their business and won the game by five wickets.

Sri Lanka made a great start in defending a slender 140-run lead with the big wicket of David Warner but failed to put pressure on the Australian batsmen as they began to build partnerships.  The second wicket to fall was that of Phil Hughes. There was a huge appeal when a delivery off Rangana Herath, lobbed up to the short leg fielder. Umpire was unmoved and the Sri Lankans called for a review. Replays showed no sign of contact between bat and ball but it the decision was reversed as the ball was in line when it hit Hughes on the pad, resulting in an lbw decision.

Michael Clarke’s dismissal to Tilakaratne Dilshan with Australia at 104 for three was met with resounding cheers as Michael Hussey walked out for one last time to join opener Ed Cowan in the middle.

Just one over later, Cowan was sent back to the pavilion after he was trapped leg before by Herath. Cowan went for a review but in vain as the ball landed on his off-stump and almost held its line and looked like a straight forward decision for the TV umpire.

Even Matthew Wade fell but the target was too little for the Sri Lankan bowlers to make a match of it.

Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal prolonged the Sri Lankan resistance in their second innings with a defiant unbeaten knock of 62 off 106 balls with 11 fours.

Chandimal shared in a fighting 41-run last-wicket stand with Nuwan Pradeep off 74 balls to give the tourists some vital extra runs to defend on a turning pitch, prolonging Sri Lanka's innings after the loss of two quick wickets on the fourth day.

Rangana Herath was bowled by Jackson Bird for 10 and Suranga Lakmal swung wildly and was cleaned up by Mitchell Johnson for a duck.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 294 and 278 (Dimuth Karunaratne 85, Dinesh Chandimal 62*, Mahela Jayawardene 60; Mitchell Johnson 3 for 34, Jackson Bird 3 for 76) lead Australia 136 for 5 (Phil Hughes 34, Ed Cowan 36 ; Rangana Herath 3 for 44) by 4 runs.