A look at the cold, hard facts and numbers that underpin Sri Lanka's three-nil Test triumph that topped the Australians
By the numbers: How the Aussies stack up
Key numbers
11 – The number of subcontinent Tests Australia have failed to win in a row. Their last victory was against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2011. They have just one win from their past 18 Tests in Asia, stretching back almost eight years.
3 – The number of times Australia have lost a three-Test series 3-0. The first time was in the 1886 Ashes, the second against an Imran Khan-led Pakistan in 1982.
19.86 – the average runs Australia scored per wicket throughout the series, their lowest since 1978-79, when an Aussie team without their biggest names due to World Series Cricket averaged 19.17 per wicket against England.
It's also the lowest Australian batting average from a Test series in Asia comprising more than one match, surpassing the 1999 tour of Sri Lanka (23.63) and more than six runs worse than the 2013 tour of India (25.89)
54 – The total number of wickets lost by Australia to Sri Lanka's spinners throughout the series. Herath claimed 28, Dilruwan Perera took 15, Lakshan Sandakan claimed 9 while Dhananjaya de Silva collected the other two. It's the highest number of wickets lost to spin by an Australian team in a three-Test series, surpassing the 41 that fell against an India side boasting Harbhajan Singh in 2001.
24 – Mitchell Starc's 24 wickets for the series was the most in a three-Test series by an Australian paceman, bettering the 23 taken by Dennis Lillee against England in 1979. It was also the most wickets by an Australian paceman in a series in Asia, and the most in a three-match series by a visiting paceman in Asia.
25.8 –Starc's strike rate for the series. No bowler - pace or spin - has taken 20 or more wickets in a Test series in Asia at a better strike rate.
26 – The number of five-wicket hauls claimed by Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath throughout his Test career. Herath is now outright seventh on the list of players with the most five-wicket hauls in Test history, behind Muttiah Muralidaran (67), Shane Warne (37), Sir Richard Hadlee (36), Anil Kumble (35), Glenn McGrath (29) and Sir Ian Botham (27).
4 – The number of times Sri Lanka have claimed a 3-0 Test series whitewash. The other times were against Zimbabwe and West Indies (both 2001) and Zimbabwe (2007).
Top 10 run scorers
Image Id: ~/media/0D50F30BD9064C7497EF0A0DD5C86588Top 10 wicket takers
Image Id: ~/media/C9CDC1BFE9FE44C391387C516742B1B3Aussie squad in Sri Lanka
(Compared to the home summer and New Zealand tour prior to the Sri Lankan series)
David Warner
Innings: 6 | Runs: 163 | Average: 27.16 | Highest score: 68
Leading in (8 Tests): 857 runs at 71.42 (highest 253)
Joe Burns
Innings: 4 | Runs: 34 | Average: 8.50 | Highest score: 29
Leading in (8 Tests): 692 runs at 53.23 (highest 170)
Image Id: ~/media/413A378C3A384193A2ED9691A3DFF7B7 Image Caption: Joe Burns is bowled by Lakshan Sandakan // Getty
Usman Khawaja
Innings: 4 | Runs: 55 | Average: 13.75 | Highest score: 26
Leading into Sri Lanka (6 Tests): 713 runs at 101.86 (highest 174)
Image Id: ~/media/8ED18CE79AEF46438EF09C7B935224A4 Image Caption: Usman Khawaja falls victim to Dilruwan Perera // Getty
Steve Smith
Innings: 6 | Runs: 247 | Average: 41.16 | Highest score: 119
Leading into Sri Lanka (8 Tests): 757 runs at 84.11 (highest 138)
Adam Voges
Innings: 6 | Runs: 118 | Average: 19.66 | Highest score: 47
Leading into Sri Lanka (8 Tests): 969 runs at 161.50 (highest 269no)
Image Id: ~/media/2E36D2A30C714311908369888E0A48EF Image Caption: Adam Voges is bowled by Rangana Herath // Getty
Mitchell Marsh
Innings: 6 | Runs: 163 | Average: 27.16 | Highest score: | Wickets: 2 | Bowing Ave: 59.00 | SR: 105.0 | BBI: 1-30
Leading into Sri Lanka (8 Tests): 127 runs at 15.88 (highest 34); 16 wickets at 34.37 (best 4-61)
Image Id: ~/media/8BC185473BA44D4595E76F8DE070751B Image Caption: Mitch Marsh scored a half-century in Colombo // Getty
Peter Nevill
Innings: 6 | Catches: 10 | Stumpings: 1 | Runs: 51 | Average: 8.50 | Highest score: 24
Leading into Sri Lanka (8 Tests): 182 runs at 30.33 (highest 66)
Shaun Marsh
Innings: 2 | Runs: 153 | Average: 76.50 | Highest score: 130
Leading into Sri Lanka (2 Tests): 233 runs at 77.67 (highest 182)
Moises Henriques
Innings: 2 | Runs: 8 | Average: 4.00 | Highest score: 4
Leading into Sri Lanka (4 first-class): 47 runs at 15.67 (highest 25)
Mitchell Starc
Innings: 6 | Wickets: 24 | Average: 15.16 | SR: 25.8 | BBI: 6-50
Leading into Sri Lanka (3 Tests): 13 wickets at 23.23 (best 4-57)
Josh Hazlewood
Innings: 6 | Wickets: 7 | Average: 32.71 | SR: 72.5 | BBI: 3-21
Leading into Sri Lanka (8 Tests): 30 wickets at 31.13 (best 6-70)
Nathan Lyon
Innings: 6 | Wickets: 16 | Average: 31.93 | SR: 57.7 | BBI: 4-123
Leading into Sri Lanka (8 Tests): 33 wickets at 26.85 (best 4-66)
Jon Holland
Innings: 4 | Wickets: 5 | Average: 54.80 | SR: 98.4 | BBI: 2-72
Leading into Sri Lanka (2 first-class): 14 wickets at 20.92 (best 5-76)
Steve O’Keefe
Innings: 2 | Wickets: 3 | Average: 24.66 | SR: 53.3 | BBI: 2-32
Leading into Sri Lanka (7 first-class): 20 wickets at 24.10 (best 4-38)