Nathan Lyon of Australia celebrates after taking the wicket of Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka during day two of the First Test match in the series between Sri Lanka and Australia at Galle International Stadium on January 30, 2025 in Galle, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka succumbed to their biggest-ever Test defeat after losing to Australia by an innings and 242 runs at Galle on Saturday.

After Australia declared their first innings at 654-6 riding on Usman Khawaja’s maiden double hundred and Steve Smith and debutant Jos Inglis' centuries, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 165. Following on, they were skittled out for yet another low score, this time for 247. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann weaved his magic with figures of 5-63 and 4-86 across both innings. Nathan Lyon too played a crucial role with seven wickets (3-57 and 4-78) in the match.

For Sri Lanka, Dinesh Chandimal was the lone warrior in the first innings scoring 78, while Jeffrey Vandersay made a quickfire 53 in the second innings. Vandersay's 47-ball blitz contained seven fours and two sixes but it was too little an effort considering the context of the match.

What was Sri Lanka's previous worst defeat in Tests?

This is now Sri Lanka’s biggest-ever Test defeat surpassing their loss against India in Nagpur in 2017 when they were defeated by an innings and 239 runs.

The win is also the fourth biggest for Australia in the format; their best was against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2002 when they won by an innings and 360 runs.

Australia's victory at Galle is also the 10th-biggest overseas win by any team and the fifth-biggest by an away side in Asia.

Worst Test defeats (by an innings) for each team

Team Opposition Margin Ground Year
Australia England innings & 579 runs The Oval 1938
South Africa Australia innings & 360 runs Johannesburg 2002
India West Indies innings & 336 runs Eden Gardens 1958
England Australia innings & 332 runs Brisbane 1946
New Zealand Pakistan innings & 324 runs Lahore 2002
Bangladesh West Indies innings & 310 runs Dhaka 2002
Zimbabwe New Zealand innings & 301 runs Napier 2012
West Indies England innings & 283 runs Leeds 2007
Ireland Sri Lanka innings & 280 runs Galle 2023
Afghanistan India innings & 262 runs Bengaluru 2018
Sri Lanka Australia innings & 242 runs Galle 2025
Pakistan England innings & 225 runs Lord's 2010

Biggest Test wins (by an innings) for Australia

Margin Opposition Ground Year
innings & 360 runs South Africa Johannesburg 2002
innings & 332 runs England Brisbane 1946
innings & 259 runs South Africa Gqeberha 1950
innings & 242 runs Sri Lanka Galle 2025
innings & 226 runs India Brisbane 1947
innings & 222 runs New Zealand Hobart 1993
innings & 217 runs West Indies Brisbane 1931
innings & 212 runs West Indies Hobart 2015
innings & 201 runs Sri Lanka Melbourne 2012
innings & 200 runs England Melbourne 1937

Biggest Test victory (by an innings) by an away side in Asia

Winner Margin Opposition Ground Year
West Indies innings & 336 runs India Eden Gardens 1958
West Indies innings & 310 runs Bangladesh Dhaka 2002
South Africa innings & 273 runs Bangladesh Chattogram 2024
Sri Lanka innings & 248 runs Bangladesh Mirpur 2014
Australia innings & 242 runs Sri Lanka Galle 2025
India innings & 239 runs Bangladesh Mirpur 2007
Pakistan innings & 222 runs Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 2023
South Africa innings & 208 runs Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 1993
South Africa innings & 205 runs Bangladesh Chattogram 2008
West Indies innings & 193 runs India Chennai 1949

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