Returns, plays & wins

It was a Shane Warne show in Sri Lanka, such was his charisma that he grabbed headlines even before he had bowled his first ball in Test cricket after serving a 12-month ban for taking drugs.

The Australian leg-spin genius remained in the news until the last day of the third and final Test here on Sunday, as he needed seven wickets to break retired West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh's world record of 519.

Warne could manage only four to miss out on the world mark, but played a key role in Australia's 3-0 sweep on turning tracks prepared specially for Sri Lankan spinners.

All of his wickets came in the last session when it looked Sri Lanka would avoid the humiliation of suffering the first whitewash in a home Test series.

The hosts could not absorb Warne's blows, losing the match by 121 runs. Soon, their cricket was in turmoil, with Hashan Tillakaratne immediately stepping down as captain.

The same day, ace Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was reported for suspect bowling action, especially for his new delivery which spins away from the right-handers.

But Warne overshadowed all, including Ricky Ponting's successful debut as Test captain.

Ponting led Australia to its first Test series win on the sub-continent in six years, but had to compete with Warne for a place in the sun.

Australia's first Test series after the retirement of Steve Waugh will be remembered more for Warne's exploits and his rivalry with Muralitharan than for Ponting's feat.

Warne finished with 26 wickets and Muralitharan with 28, the Australian becoming the first spinner to complete 500 Test wickets in the first match and the Sri Lankan the youngest and fastest to reach the landmark in the second.

Muralitharan (513 wickets) has better chances of pipping Warne to the world mark as Sri Lanka tour Zimbabwe next month for two Tests. He needs seven more scalps to surpass Walsh, not a difficult task considering his recent form.

Warne (517) will have to wait as Australia play their next Test series in May, in Zimbabwe.

What mattered most was that Warne returned with a bang, earning lavish praises from teammates and opponents alike for his amazing consistency and clever variations.

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

Sri Lankan vice-captain Marvan Atapattu admitted that Warne had bowled superbly in his comeback Test series.

"I think Warne is at his best at the moment," he said. "He came back very strongly. It's good that Warne and Murali are not bowling together in the opposition."

Warne had a ball in Sri Lanka, the hot and humid conditions notwithstanding.

He took four consecutive five-wicket hauls in the first two matches to remind the game's followers what a spectacle they had missed in his absence.

"I could not have asked for a better series," said Warne, named man of the series.

"One thing I am happy with is the amount of spin I am getting. Probably, I have not spun the ball for the past few years as much as I'd have liked. I think the past 12 months have given rest to my shoulder and fingers. I'm back spinning the ball," he said.

"I'll never forget this feeling of being selected to play for Australia again," Warne said.

"I'm glad the captain and selectors thought that I've got a role to play in the team. The rest is up to me."

Australia's tenacity was also the talking point as they came back strongly to win the first two matches after dismal first-innings performances, scoring 220 at Galle and 120 at Kandy.

"You cannot relax against Australia even for 10 or 15 minutes," said Tillakaratne.

The Australian batting clicked when it mattered most. Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn each smashed two centuries, while Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer hit one apiece.

Langer was involved in a bizarre bail-flicking incident here before being cleared by the match-referee.