Long Aussie wait ends

WELL DONE, MATE: Australia captain Ricky Ponting (L) pats leg-spinner Shane Warne after the end of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Australia ended a six-year wait to clinch a Test series in the sub-continent when they halted Sri Lanka's record chase to win the second Test by 27 runs here on Saturday.

Australia, who last won a Test series in the sub-continent in Pakistan in 1998, grabbed the remaining three Sri Lankan wickets for 23 runs to complete an exciting win for an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Leg-spinner Shane Warne took two wickets and fast bowler Jason Gillespie one to complete the job.

Sri Lanka, needing 51 more runs to win with three wickets in hand, were bowled out for 324 in their second innings on the fifth and final morning after being set a record 352-run target.

The highest-ever total chased by Sri Lanka in the fourth innings to win a Test was 326, against Zimbabwe at Colombo in 1997.

Sri Lanka were in a position to make history when they resumed at 301-7, with Chaminda Vaas and Kaushal Lokuarachchi at the crease.

But Warne and Gillespie swung the match in Australia's favour by sharing three wickets in just 6.1 overs.

"He (Warne) was fantastic again," said Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.

"When you have got somebody like Warney, you know he is going to bowl enough good balls to get wickets.

"It was a great game of cricket. It was pretty tense, came right down to the wire. We knew they would be under pressure trying to win a Test on the last day."

Warne was named man-of-the-match for his fourth successive haul of five wickets. He finished with 5-90 to take his tally to 511 wickets, behind only retired West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh (519).

"I don't think I could have bowled better than I had in the last couple of Tests," said Warne.

Ponting opened the day's proceedings with his two best bowlers, Warne and Gillespie (4-76), and both of them rose to the occasion.

Vaas did not curb his strokes in pressure situation as he inside-edged Gillespie for a lucky four, the ball missing his stumps by a whisker. He then produced an authentic straight-drive for a boundary.

Warne's next over was eventful as Vaas swung for a four and then drove in the covers where Andrew Symonds dropped an easy catch. The batsman was on 45 in a total of 319.

Australia and Warne heaved a sigh of relief when Vaas swung straight into the hands of Justin Langer at deep mid-wicket. Vaas struck eight fours in his 53-ball 45.