Spin problem two-fold for struggling Aussies

Steve Smith's Australians have been unable to put a positive spin on their Test series hammering by Sri Lanka.

The statistics are stark: the home side's spinners have made Australia's batting look ordinary, while on the same dry, turning wickets, paceman Mitchell Starc has been Australia's most potent bowler.

Quick Single: Sri Lanka spin way to series victory

The difference between the sides was as clear as the blue skies over Galle on Saturday when Sri Lanka belted Australia by 229 runs to win the second Test and claim the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy for the first time.

Who would have thought Angelo Mathews would be leading Sri Lanka on a victory lap before even heading to Colombo after they were rolled for 117 on the opening morning of the first Test in Kandy?

But it didn't take long to realise that despite a solid preparation, which included picking the brain of Sri Lankan spinning legend Muthiah Muralidaran, Australia were hopelessly outgunned by the hosts' slow bowlers.

Since Joe Burns was bowled by Rangana Herath in the fourth over of Australia's reply, it's been an awkward struggle to contend with almost a full smorgasbord of spin - left-arm finger spin, left-arm wrist spin and right-arm off-spin.

Australia's scores for the series are 203, 161, 106 and 183.

Of the 40 Australian wickets to fall so far in the series, 36 have been to the spinners.

In Galle, Australia faced just two overs from pace in the entire match.

Three Sri Lankan spinners average 15 or less; Nathan Lyon has nine wickets at 30.88.

"You look at the Sri Lankan spinners, any of the subcontinent spinners, they bowl that side seam on the ball where they can go up and down with their speeds and trajectory," Smith said.

"The ball reacts differently. One ball goes straight on and speeds up off the wicket, one ball spins and you don't know which one is which.

"I don't think the bowlers actually know which one is which, either."

Australia's highest score in four innings was Smith's 55 in the second innings of the first Test.

Burns has banked 32 runs at 8.50, and Usman Khawaja 55 at 13.75.

Khawaja left his first ball of the second innings to Dilruwan Perera and was bowled.

Quick Single: Perera zooms into record books

"In Australia, traditionally, (the spinners) get taught to get over the top of the ball ... to try and do the batsman in drift and shape in the air," Smith said.

"In the subcontinent, the ones with the side seam are extremely hard to face and our spin bowlers need to continue working on that. It's bowling a completely different way to the way we bowl in Australia."

Starc, meanwhile, has been brilliant on pitches he called lifeless.

He's proven pace can be potent in Sri Lanka, but his best Test figures of 11-94 were in vain.